Union Files Labor Complaint on Boeing Defense

The union representing more than 3,000 striking workers at three Boeing Defense plants has filed an unfair labor practices complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, contending that the manufacturer will not negotiate in good faith to settle the 11-week-long dispute.

The NLRB is the federal agency that manages labor relations between private companies and employees. An “unfair labor practice” complaint is a charge that the employer has violated federal or state labor laws by interfering with employees' rights to organize, bargain collectively, or engage in other protected activities. It should result in an NLRB investigation, and possibly a hearing to substantiate the charge and determine what action may be required.

However, the ongoing federal government shutdown has meant the agency has made no statement about the complaint.

The strike began on August 4 at three plants in St. Louis and St. Charles, Mo., and Mascoutah, Ill., after International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers members rejected a four-year contract proposal that offered a 20% general wage increase and $5,000 signing bonus for every worker. A second offer delivered in early September offered five years, with a 24% raise and $4,000 signing bonuses.

According to the union, Boeing’s offers do not compare in terms of the signing bonus provided to other Boeing workers, and do not improve the workers’ 401(k) benefits. The union is referring to the agreement it reached with Boeing Commercial Airplanes in October 2024, following a seven-week strike by more than 30,000 workers.

On September 18 the IAM presented Boeing Defense with a “pre-ratified … four-year proposal that aligns 401(k) contribution percentages with Boeing employees around the country, more fairly raises wages for top-of-scale members, and includes a compromise on the ratification bonus that approaches the level Boeing provided for IAM Union members in the Pacific Northwest and non-union workers in South Carolina.”

Boeing Defense did not respond to that proposal. At the same time, the company announced its plan to hire replacement workers to keep the plants operating.

The strike affects plants where Boeing Defense assembles fighter aircraft including the F-15 and F/A-18, and other missile and defense systems. Non-union workers have been operating the plants, but Boeing began training replacement workers in early October.