The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 837, representing 3,200 Boeing defense workers across Missouri and Illinois and affiliated with the AFL–CIO/CLC, has rejected a modified four-year labor deal with Boeing. As a result, for the first time since 1996, a strike will begin at midnight, impacting operations at key fighter jet plants.
“IAM District 837 members have spoken loud and clear, they deserve a contract that reflects their skill, dedication, and the critical role they play in our nation’s defense,” IAM District 837 Directing Business Representative Tom Boelling stated in a press release, adding, “We stand shoulder to shoulder with these working families as they fight for fairness and respect on the job.”
The 3,200 machinists were in a week-long federally mandated “cooling-off” period after rejecting Boeing’s initial labor contract last Sunday. By Friday, Boeing presented a modified offer that included a 20% pay boost, raising average annual pay from $75,000 to $102,600, along with other perks, including a $5,000 signing bonus.
For some context, the last time IAM District 837 went on strike was in 1996, a labor action that lasted 99 days. There’s no telling how long the current stoppage will last, but it will undoubtedly impact operations at the F-15, F/A-18, and cutting-edge missile and defense technologies plants.
The timing of the strike comes as the world is on fire and deepening into a bipolar state. We asked a very simple question early last week:
One must ask whether foreign adversaries, as part of their hybrid warfare campaign to implode the US from within, have exploited this union in an attempt to strike a critical node in America’s defense manufacturing hub.
Indeed, the heads of IAM District 837 were pro-globalist Joe Biden…
It’s not far-fetched to suggest that foreign adversaries could infiltrate unions; it’s a well-documented tactic in the hybrid warfare playbook.
Loading recommendations…
