The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) members are urging Boeing leaders to engage in negotiations with 3,200 union workers to end a nearly three-month strike at the company’s fighter jet and munitions factories located in St. Louis. In a letter published on Wednesday, a bipartisan group of 17 HASC members expressed concern over Boeing’s decision to hire non-union workers while negotiations are ongoing.
The letter highlighted that both Boeing and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers have yet to reach a new contract after over 80 days of striking, even with federal mediation assistance. The committee members cited reports indicating that Boeing Defense had been inquiring about hiring permanent replacements for the striking workers and urged both parties to resume negotiations to resolve the ongoing strike.
Despite the strike, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg indicated during a third-quarter earnings call that production continues on critical defense projects. He stated that their contingency plan is effective and that they are maintaining production rates for Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM), the Air Force’s T-7A trainer, and the Navy’s MQ-25 unmanned aerial refueler without the IAM-represented workforce.
A spokesperson for Boeing did not provide immediate comments regarding the Congressional letter or the impact of the strike on other defense programs, including the F-15EX, F/A-18, and F-47 fighter jets. Earlier in the month, the IAM filed two labor violation charges against Boeing, alleging that the company rejected union proposals without offering counter-proposals or addressing worker complaints.
During the earnings call, Ortberg also mentioned milestones in defense programs, such as starting assembly on the first test aircraft for the T-7A and delivering the 100th KC-46 tanker. He noted significant contracts secured by Boeing, including over $400 million for repairs on F-18 landing gear and a $2.8 billion contract for modernizing Space Force’s nuclear control satellites.
Furthermore, Boeing was awarded $2.7 billion in multi-year contracts earlier this month to increase the production of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 seeker missiles for the military. The company reported a 25% increase in defense revenue, totaling $6.9 billion in the third quarter compared to the previous year. Ortberg remarked that while progress is being made, there remains work to finalize these defense programs.
