OVER 3,000 arms industry workers went on strike at Boeing factories in the US states of Missouri and Illinois today.

The workers, who build fighter jets, walked off the job from midnight after voting to reject a modified contract, itself drawn up by Boeing in response to their rejection of a previous offer, despite their union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), having originally recommended acceptance.

The aerospace giant, itself embroiled in controversy over apparent safety issues with the 737 Max passenger jet, had offered workers a four-year deal involving 20 per cent pay increases over that period. The IAM union had called it a “landmark” agreement that improved medical insurance, pensions and overtime benefits but members voted it down.

“We’re disappointed our employees rejected an offer that featured 40 per cent average wage growth and resolved their primary issue on alternative work schedules,” Boeing Air Dominance vice-president and general manager Dan Gillian, who is also the senior executive at the St Louis site which voted to strike, said.

But the union district’s directing business rep Tom Boelling said: “IAM District 837 members have spoken loud and clear, they deserve a contract that reflects their skill, dedication and the critical role they play in our nation’s defence.

“We stand shoulder to shoulder with these working families as they fight for fairness and respect on the job.”

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

Boeing has been struggling after two of its Boeing 737 Max airplanes crashed, one in Indonesia in 2018 and the other in Ethiopia in 2019, killing 346 people. In June, one of Boeing’s Dreamliner planes, operated by Air India, crashed, killing at least 260 people.

Whistleblowers have alleged corner-cutting by management seeking to speed up aircraft production. One, John Barnett, a quality control manager, who claimed to have faced retaliation for raising safety concerns, was found dead in March 2024, from what police said was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.