More than 3,200 unionized workers who assemble Boeing’s fighter jets in the St Louis area rejected Boeing’s latest offer on Sunday and will strike at midnight on Monday, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union said.
“IAM District 837 members … deserve a contract that reflects their skill, dedication, and the critical role they play in our nation’s defense,” the union’s business representative, Tom Boelling, said.
Last week, Boeing sent a new contract offer to the union with some minor compensation changes that would benefit senior union members, according to the company. The offer also kept current overtime policies, which Boeing had proposed modifying in the last contract offer.
The union had rejected the previous offer, saying that the offer was insufficient.
Boeing did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside regular business hours.
The workers assemble Boeing’s fighter jets and the MQ-25, an aerial refueling drone being developed for the US navy.
This would be the first strike that Boeing has faced at its St Louis defense hub since 1996.
Boeing’s defense division is expanding manufacturing facilities in the St Louis area for the new US Air Force fighter, the F-47, after it won the contract this year.