Boeing strike continues after workers reject deal

Boeing workers in Illinois and Missouri have kept the Boeing strike alive after rejecting a third contract offer on September 13, 2025.

Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) District 837 voted 57% against Boeing’s third proposal. The company’s offer included a signing bonus and an average 45% wage increase, but many employees said the pay scale moves too slowly and the pension plan fell short.

The walkout remains in place at facilities that build F‑15 and F/A‑18 fighters for U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy contracts. Those plants, located in Illinois and Missouri, are central to Pentagon procurement and have been the focus of intense negotiations and public attention as the labor dispute stretches on.

Why the Boeing strike continues

Union leaders argue that the package did not fix long-term pay progression or retirement security; workers want faster steps up the pay scale and stronger pensions. Boeing has responded that it will continue hiring permanent replacement workers while talks remain stalled, a move that could prolong the disruption at military-production lines.

Boeing strike: 57% of IAMAW District 837 voters rejected the company’s September 13, 2025 offer.
Offer details: signing bonus and roughly 45% average wage increase, per Boeing proposal.
Locations: manufacturing sites in Illinois and Missouri producing F‑15 and F/A‑18 jets for USAF and USN.

The implications extend beyond labor relations. Delays at fighter production sites can ripple into delivery schedules for the U.S. Air Force and Navy, and hiring replacement workers raises questions about workforce continuity and program timelines. Both sides face pressure to resolve the dispute, but for now the picket lines and production slowdowns remain.