More than 3,000 Boeing fighter jet, munitions machinists go on strike

More than 3,000 Boeing fighter jet and munitions machinists went on strike on Monday in St. Louis, the first time the union has done so in nearly 30 years.

On Sunday, the 3,200 machinists, who work in Missouri and Illinois building and maintaining F-15 and F/A-18 fighter jets and munitions, voted to reject Boeing's offer of a four-year contract that included a 20% wage increase, $5,000 ratification bonus and better retirement benefits, according to The Hill newspaper.

The machinists began their strike at midnight on Monday.

The employees' union, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 837, said any contract should reflect the workers’ skills and their critical role in national defense. 

“Our union is built on democracy, and our members have every right to demand a contract worthy of their contributions,” IAM International President Brian Bryant said in a statement. “We will be there on the picket lines, ensuring Boeing hears the collective power of working people.”

Dan Gillian, a Boeing vice president and general manager, said the company is disappointed that the union rejected the offer but is prepared for the strike.

The last time the union went on strike was in 1996. 

Boeing has been struggling to rebound from a series of safety issues, major financial lose and production delays.

In September, Boeing faced another strike by a Seattle-based union that represents more than 33,000 workers, essentially halting production of some of the company’s best-selling commercial aircraft for nearly two months.