Boeing, Union Reach Tentative Deal Ending 5-Week Strike

Boeing and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 837 have reached a tentative five-year contract deal that could end the five-week strike by about 3,200 defense workers in the St. Louis area. The new agreement includes a 45% average wage increase, improved raises, and the restoration of a signing bonus, surpassing the previous offer which proposed a 40% wage increase over four years. Union members, who assemble advanced military aircraft such as the F-15 and F/A-18, are scheduled to vote on the contract on Friday. Boeing officials have described the deal as the best offer ever made to the union and encouraged workers to approve it to resume production. The strike began after members rejected an earlier contract proposal, and Boeing had initiated recruitment efforts to replace striking workers. This strike follows a recent, larger stoppage in Boeing's commercial aviation sector, highlighting ongoing labor tensions within the company.