Striking defense workers appeal to US Congress to help bridge divide with Boeing

A union representing over 3,000 striking Boeing fighter jet workers have appealed to members of the US Congress to intervene in their industrial dispute.  

On August 13, 2024, the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM) said it is “calling on Missouri’s Congressional Delegation to stand with Boeing Defense workers on strike”. 

Staff members at Boeing facilities in St. Louis and St. Charles in Missouri and Mascoutah in Illinois downed tools at midnight on August 4, 2025, after rejecting a proposal for a four-year agreement.   

According to the St. Louis Business Journal, IAM Union head, Brian Bryant, wrote a letter to US Senators and representatives indicating that the organization is “ready and willing to return to the bargaining table”. 

U.S. Air Force photo“Throughout these negotiations, the union has presented the company with a number of viable solutions to adequately meet our members’ needs. Our members rightly believe the compensation package offered by the company is not adequate given the recent economic trends of high inflation and skyrocketing demand for highly skilled aerospace workers,” wrote Bryant, according to the St. Louis Business Journal. 

A revised offer from Boeing before the strike commenced included retracting a suggestion for an Alternative Workweek Schedule (AWS), which means that the current overtime rules will stay the same.   

The proposal also included a 50% per hour raise for employees who have reached the top of the pay scale, on an annual basis.  

Workers at Missouri and Illinois sites assemble and maintain advanced aircraft and weapons systems, including the F-15, F/A-18, and missile and defense technologies.     

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