ST. LOUIS — Boeing said Saturday it is "disappointed" that the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) was recommending workers reject Boeing's contract offer for St. Louis-area employees, Reuters reports.
IAM, which represents nearly 2,500 employees at three Boeing sites in the St. Louis area, said earlier Saturday that its bargaining committee "cannot, in good conscience, recommend a contract that is not fair and equitable as the company continues to make billions of dollars each year off the backs of hard-working members on the shop floor."
The union membership is scheduled to vote Sunday, July 24, on Boeing's "last, best, and final" contract offer. The current contract is set to expire at 12:01 a.m. CT on July 25. After a seven-day waiting period, IAM members could begin picketing on Aug. 1 if they reject the contract offer and go on strike.
The IAM's membership passed the strike sanction vote June 25 by 99%, according to the union website.
Boeing remains "hopeful that our employees will see the value in this offer and vote yes" to its contract offer, which the manufacturer said provides "highly competitive" wage increases, cash and stock immediately, as well as one of the nation's "most lucrative" 401(k) retirement plans, according to Reuters.
In its release Saturday, the union said the major areas of contention in the contract are "wage increases, auto progression rates, and "401(k) gains."
“The company failed to see the membership’s needs on various issues,” Tom Boelling, IAM District 837 president and directing business representative, said in a statement.
“We will fight for a contract the membership deserves,” he said.
Read more of the story on the St. Louis Business Journal website.
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