Show-Me State Times

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri has called on Boeing to negotiate with its striking machinists in St. Louis. In a letter addressed to Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg, Hawley urged the company to engage in good faith negotiations with approximately 3,300 workers who have been on strike for fourteen weeks.

Hawley wrote, “As you know, these nearly 3,300 machinists have been on strike for fourteen weeks. That’s fourteen weeks without a paycheck and access to healthcare. A few weeks ago, I heard from Joshua Arnold—a decade-plus Boeing Defense shop steward, Army veteran, and father—when he testified before a Senate committee. He reported that, because of Boeing’s refusal to offer the machinists a contract that mirrors their value to the company, he and his fellow machinists have been without a paycheck for over three months. Further, some of the out-of-work machinists, who cannot readily obtain health insurance through a spouse’s plan, are forced to pay insurance rates in the thousands per month. This is unacceptable.”

The senator noted that last year Boeing reached an agreement with its Seattle-based machinists after a 53-day strike but said similar terms had not been offered to workers in St. Louis. “Just last year, Boeing and machinists in Seattle agreed to a beneficial contract after those machinists were on strike for 53 days. It is my understanding that Boeing’s offers to the St. Louis machinists have not contained similar terms. There exists a precedent for offering a better deal, and I urge you to finalize a reasonable agreement as soon as possible. These workers help produce our Nation’s most crucial, most advanced, and most expensive defense tools. And since your company receives billions in government contracts, it is incumbent upon you to do the right thing,” Hawley stated.

The letter comes amid ongoing labor disputes between Boeing and its workforce in Missouri.