Workers Hold the Line as Boeing Plans Replacement Hiring Event
On August 4, about 3,200 members of IAM District 837 put down their tools at Boeing’s defense plants in Berkeley (St. Louis), St. Charles, and Mascoutah. They did it after rejecting Boeing’s revised four-year deal the day before. Today, September 6, they’re into month two—still holding the line.
Why They Walked
The company’s “best and final” offer keeps a 20% general wage bump over four years. For a lot of folks, that still doesn’t touch inflation, or what machinists at other Boeing sites have won. The revised offer moved a few pieces: it killed the unpopular “alternative workweek,” front-loaded the pension multiplier to $10 in year one instead of $5 in years two and three, and tacked on a $0.50/hr attendance add-on for top-scale workers. But the bones—vacation, sick leave, health care—barely moved. Members said: Not enough.
Boeing’s Stance
Boeing calls this the richest St. Louis package it’s ever put on the table and says many employees would see “40% average wage growth” when you add progression and other economics. After members voted no, the company yanked a $5,000 ratification bonus and now says it’s open only to minor adjustments “within the current framework.” Boeing also notes that a chunk of members didn’t vote and urges people to request individualized projections. Meanwhile, they’re running contingency plans to keep F-15s, F/A-18s, and other defense work moving, acknowledging some delays. There are no new bargaining dates; the last sit-down meeting was on August 25.
What’s Really Dividing Them
- Pay & progression: 20% GWI vs. a faster climb to the top rate and a paycheck that actually beats prices at the grocery store.
• Retirement: A front-loaded pension tweak is something, but mid-career and newer hires say long-term security still isn’t there
• Comparability & bonuses: Boeing pulled the $5,000 bonus after the “no” vote, and St. Louis members are watching the richer West Coast settlement where machinists won bigger economics and a far larger bonus—as a measuring stick
The Replacement Push
On September 4, Boeing announced that it will begin hiring permanent replacements and plans a job fair for September 16. Federal law allows for permanent replacements during an economic strike; however, those hires can still be laid off as part of a settlement. The catch: some roles require security clearances that take months, which could slow any back fill.
Where It Stands Now
Week five. No new bargaining dates. Boeing says the core economics won’t change; members say their core needs aren’t met—faster progression, stronger pay, a meaningful bonus. Production adapts under contingency plans as the company recruits replacements, including the Sept. 16 fair. It’s the broader story of post-pandemic labor in aerospace: scarce skilled labor, tight program schedules, and a workforce newly unwilling to settle for less than a fair share of the value they create.
If you’re looking for the venue or registration for Sept. 16, keep an eye on Boeing’s official recruiting/event listings—details weren’t public in local reporting as of this week—but know what that date means: pressure. The legal, public kind that tries to make holding a picket line feel lonely. It’s not.
How we show up; lawfully, locally, together
- Don’t cross a picket line. If you have to enter the area for unrelated reasons, slow down, wave, and show respect.
• Support strike funds and mutual aid. Groceries, gas cards, and childcare—small things carry a family through week five into week six.
• Call your electeds. Defense dollars flow through Congress; so does oversight. Inform them that you expect contracts that value skilled labor, not those that undermine unions.
• Talk to your neighbors. Most folks don’t know the details—share what’s at stake without heat or blame. Calm truth travels far.
• If you live in the St. Louis area, you can support the union by peacefully demonstrating near the hiring event to show community solidarity.” Consumers can join or support peaceful, lawful pickets organized by the union or permitted community groups.
Here’s the bigger truth
They built this system to run on our obedience. When workers in St. Louis step back from the line, they’re reminding the nation who actually makes the engines turn. That’s not chaos. That’s clarity.
Hold your ground. Hold each other. We win by staying human.
—Dancing Quail
References & notes:
- Louis Public Radio (Aug 4, 2025; Sept 4, 2025) coverage of IAM 837’s strike, contract terms, and bargaining status.
- Reuters (Sept 3–4, 2025) on Boeing’s offer details, withdrawal of the $5,000 ratification bonus, and plans to hire permanent replacements.
- Spectrum Local News (early Sept 2025) and Manufacturing Dive (Sept 2025) on the Sept 16 hiring fair and offer components.
- Boeing’s IAM 837 information hub (offer summaries/FAQs) and Boeing Careers events listings (accessed Sept 6, 2025) for company statements and recruiting details.
Facts, dates, and figures reflect what was publicly available as of Sept 6, 2025. If you spot something missing or updated, send it along, and we’ll correct the record.
