Boeing strike talks restart
October 31, 2024
On Tuesday, 29 October 2024, Day 47 of its strike, District 751 of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM) issued a Strike Update that revealed that the Union bargaining committee had enjoyed a “productive face-to-face meeting” with Boeing, effectively restarting talks. This was the first time the two sides had met since 64% of Union members voted to reject an improved contract offer from Boeing.
The Union and the company met with the assistance of Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, in order to address key bargaining issues. The Union reassured its members that it was continuing to engage with the company in order to secure the best possible outcome for its members.
Earlier the same day, the Republican governors of Missouri, Montana and Utah (Governors Mike Parson, Greg Gianforte and Spencer Cox), wrote a letter urging Boeing and the union to end the strike, expressing their concern as to the “far-reaching” impact on their states and on Boeing’s supply chain.
“Boeing has stopped buying from most suppliers, most of whom are now making the very difficult decision to furlough or lay off their own employees,” the Governors pointed out in their letter.
Also on Tuesday, Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of the global supply chain for Boeing’s commercial airplanes unit, sent an email to suppliers saying that Boeing needed to continue to ask for a pause on shipping components for the 737 MAX, 767 and 777.
Mounir acknowledged that “this may drive you to take additional and difficult actions for your production schedules as well as for your teams.” He said that Boeing would continue to work with its suppliers to maintain as much stability in its shared production system as was possible.
