Workers reject Boeing's latest offer after nearly three months on strike

By Dan Catchpole (Reuters) -Striking workers at Boeing Defense in the St. Louis area rejected the company's latest contract proposal on Sunday, sending a strike that has already delayed delivery of fighter jets and other programs into its 13th week. In a statement after the vote, union leadership said the company had failed to address the needs of the roughly 3,200 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 837. "Boeing claimed they listened to their employees – the result of today's vote proves they have not," IAM International President Brian Bryant said in a statement. "Boeing's corporate executives continue to insult the very people who build the world's most advanced military aircraft – the same planes and military systems that keep our servicemembers and nation safe." The five-year offer was largely the same as those previously rejected by union members. Boeing leadership has said repeatedly during the strike that the company will not significantly improve its offer. In September, IAM members approved the union's proposed four-year contract. However, Boeing management has refused to consider the offer. The IAM estimates that its offer would add about $50 million to the agreement's cost over its four-year duration, compared with the company offer that was rejected. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg is set to earn $22 million this year. "It's well past time for Boeing to stop cheaping out on the workers who make its success possible and bargain a fair deal that respects their skill and sacrifice," Bryant said. Since the strike began on August 4, Boeing officials have repeatedly said the company's mitigation plan has limited the effects of the work stoppage.  However, it has delayed deliveries of F-15EX fighters to the U.S. Air Force, General Kenneth Wilsbach told the Senate Armed Services Committee in comments submitted for a October 9 hearing on his nomination as the Air Force's chief of staff. Boeing is expected to report another unprofitable quarter when it posts its third-quarter results on Wednesday. Wall Street analysts anticipate the company will announce a multi-billion dollar charge on its 777X program, which is six years behind schedule and not yet certified by regulators. (Reporting by Dan Catchpole in Seattle; Editing by Mark Heinrich, Nia Williams and Edmund Klamann)

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