For eight weeks, more than 3,200 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 837 have walked picket lines outside Boeing’s defense plants in St. Louis. The strike began after union members rejected multiple contract offers they said failed to protect wages, benefits, and family time. The work stoppage has halted production of key military aircraft, shaken local businesses, and underscored tensions between one of the world’s largest defense contractors and the skilled workers who power it. In St. Louis, the dispute is not just about paychecks but about dignity, community, and survival.
They are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters. They are the skilled hands behind machines of war. And for the last eight weeks, they have been out of work because Boeing refuses to sign an agreement that would allow them to return to the shop floor with dignity.
“I’m tired”
Jody Bennett, IAM Vice President, does not speak in the polished language of corporate press releases. His words are blunt, heavy with fatigue.
“I gotta tell you, I’m tired,” Bennett said in an exclusive Zoom interview with the Black Press USA and the St. Louis Argus. “I’m really without words for just my distaste for Boeing as a corporation and the lack of appreciation they have for the people who have made them the company that they are.”
Negotiations Stalled
Asked by NNPA’s Global Digital Transformation Director, Rev. Mark Thompson to provide an opening statement, Bennett explained how the strike reached a stalemate.
“Our members have rejected three Boeing offers,” he said. “We even presented a pre-approved strike settlement agreement overwhelmingly supported by the membership. That gave Boeing 100 percent assurance—if they signed on the dotted line, our folks would be back to work. Boeing rejected it. They’ve made it clear they’ll only discuss terms within the parameters they set, reallocating money in their original offer but not adding a dime more.”
The union has requested mediation, but Boeing has not set dates. “The ball is in Boeing’s court,” Bennett said.
Minority Workers on the Frontlines
NNPA Senior Correspondent Stacy M. Brown pressed the vice president on the strike’s impact on minority workers.
“Black and minority workers are often on the frontlines of labor struggles,” Brown said. “How is this strike impacting them, and what role are they playing in leadership?”
Bennett responded that between 15 and 20 percent of the membership is Black, with many serving as strike captains. “But this isn’t just about the workers,” he said. “It’s about the entire community. The mom-and-pop shops, the little restaurants. In a lot of minority communities, the impact is greater because they already lack access to necessities. These communities need good-paying jobs to survive and rebuild, and this hinders that.”
Morale and Human Rights
: For TD El-Amin, publisher of the St. Louis Argus and former UAW worker, Local 325, the question was personal. El-Amin grew up in the labor movement under his father Larry Bastain, who was a labor union organizer. “The very first song I learned by heart was the Union Solidarity song, it was union wages that I was brought up under as well as my children. For El-Amin, the Ford Plant closed and many friends and family transitioned over to GKN and now Boeing: “How is worker morale holding up?” El-Amin questioned.
“Surprisingly strong,” Bennett replied. “We’re in our eighth week. Normally after three or four weeks, the toll is heavy. But our members prepared for this. These aren’t just jobs—they’re careers. They invested their lives, buying homes, paying taxes, raising families. Labor rights and human rights are the same thing. Our members have rejected Boeing’s proposals three times, and we’ll keep fighting for what they need.”
Setting Industry Standards
Brown also asked how a fair contract might set standards across the aerospace and defense industry.
“A fair contract raises the standard of living for all skilled labor,” Bennett said. “Corporations lump skilled aerospace work with unskilled manufacturing. Aerospace is not widgets or coat hangers. These are advanced systems, and our people deserve pay that matches the skill. Raising standards here also strengthens workers in Canada, France, Germany—wherever aerospace jobs exist.”
Political Stakes
El-Amin pressed Bennett on elected officials: “Where do Senators Hawley, Schmitt, and Governor Parson stand in relation to these negotiations?”
Bennett noted that Senators Josh Hawley and Roy Blunt, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, the Labor Caucus, and the Black Caucus have all expressed support. “We’re even holding a town hall with Senator Bernie Sanders,” Bennett added. “Boeing portrays average wages using top-tier salaries, but it takes ten years to get there. Many of our members still qualify for food stamps. That’s unacceptable for one of the largest corporations in the world.”
Voters and Red Lines
Brown asked how voters should connect this strike to the larger political debate.
“Every ballot cast affects not just yourself but your neighbors and your community,” Bennett said. “Politics is too often reduced to wedge issues like guns, abortion, and immigration, while ignoring healthcare, prescription drugs, and workplace safety. We need to focus on what actually affects working families.”
When El-Amin asked about union “red lines,” Bennett was unequivocal: “Wages—especially for our top-tier members. Boeing wants lump-sum bonuses that stagnate wages. We insist on either flat increases or percentage raises so wages continue to grow.”
Production at a Standstill
Thompson raised the question of Boeing’s production losses.
“They’re not putting anything out,” Bennett said flatly. “These are defense systems requiring certified workers and government inspectors. You can’t replace 3,200 skilled machinists overnight. Job fairs won’t fix it. Production is at a standstill.”
“We Built America”
As the interview closed, Bennett grew reflective. “We want a big, sustainable middle class because we built America and we continue to drive America,” he said. “And it ain’t a billionaire that’s doing it.”
