ST. LOUIS – Boeing has rejected a counteroffer made by union members just days after presenting its latest labor contract proposal. So a nearly-three month strike in the St. Louis region will carry on.
More than 3,200 St. Louis-area Boeing workers have been on strike since Aug. 4, clashing with the company over wages, bonuses and retirement benefits.
On Monday, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers 837 (IAM 837) made a counter offer to Boeing’s latest five-year offer. One day earlier, the union rejected a deal that featured a 24% wage increases, a $4,000 ratification bonus, and $3,000 in restricted stock units that would vest over three years.
On Tuesday, FOX 2 learned that IAM 837 shared the following message on the counteroffer to union members:
Boeing claimed the union rejected its latest contract offer by a narrow margin—51% to 49%. However, union members who spoke with FOX 2 after the vote said the offer still fell short of contracts reached at other Boeing sites around the country, with St. Louis workers arguing the contract had become more demanding, with fewer improvements to benefits and retirement plans.
The union’s counteroffer called for a four-year contract instead of a five-year deal, asking for a $10,000 ratification bonus, with $5,000 up front and the other $5,000 paid in year three. The union also backed off its 8% 401(k) match demand. That had been a sticking point for some union members as Boeing ended its pension plan.
Source: fox2now.com
