The aviation giant Boeing is bracing for that same disruption. More than 3,000 public defense workers are set to strike this Monday. This decision represents the first blow against Boeing’s defence oligopoly since 1996. Workers at three facilities in Missouri and Illinois rejected Boeing’s last offer. This proposal addressed an average wage growth of 40% yet issues of pay, quality of schedule, and pension restoration are still hanging in the balance.
Boeing’s most extensive walkout to date came last year, when around 30,000 workers in its division making passenger jets went on strike. The industrial action led to the company losing billions of dollars and further deepened an already perilous financial position. Boeing’s Air Dominance unit vice president, Dan Gillian, was discouraging by the recent offer rejection, saying,
“We’re disappointed our employees rejected an offer that featured 40% average wage growth.” – Dan Gillian
The union that represents these workers has long focused, rightfully so, on issues of pay and workers’ safety. A union spokesperson stated,
“We stand shoulder to shoulder with these working families as they fight for fairness and respect on the job.”
Boeing is already in a precarious position as a new strike threatens. Last year, the company provided just 348 aircraft to its customers — the lowest production in the company’s post-COVID-19 pandemic existence. This sharp drop in production has added to the company’s fiscal woes after past strikes and during a time of continued operational struggles.
Even before reaching a settlement in recent labor disputes, Boeing found itself under scrutiny for other reasons—most notably safety concerns over its aircraft. Early in 2024, an engine nacelle panel on a Boeing 737 Max departed mid-flight. The incident, which occurred over an unlocked emergency exit, set off alarm bells on behalf of the manufacturing company’s QC. Boeing’s history has been recently littered with tragedies. Just ask Boeing, which in 2018 saw one of its new 737s crash immediately after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesia, killing all 189 people on board. A Boeing 737 MAX plane crashed in Ethiopia in March 2019, killing all on board. Tragically, 157 people died in that crash.
As the strike date approaches, Boeing’s management will need to navigate these complex issues while addressing the concerns of its workforce. The result of this labor dispute may have major consequences on the company’s ability to continue operating and become financially viable in the long term.