The company invites workers to assess the benefits of the rejected offer, while the unions call for a fight for justice and obtain the support of a group of parliamentarians

The negotiations between Boeing and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) union have abruptly halted: the company has announced the suspension of all talks with the 3,200 defense employees on strike. Negotiations will not resume before September 1, the day of Labor Day in the USA. The last meeting, held on August 25, three weeks after the start of the strike, produced no significant progress to end the dispute involving Boeing Defense plants in Missouri and Illinois.

A company spokesman, quoted by Reuters, confirmed there is no schedule for new meetings. The company said it regretted the lack of participation by nearly 30% of union members in the vote on their latest contract proposal, noting that fewer than 10% had requested a personalized evaluation of benefits. Boeing's proposal, rejected by workers on August 3, provided for a general wage increase of 20% over four years and a $5,000 ratification bonus. The industry reiterated that this offer, with an average pay increase of 40%, "remains in effect", although no longer including the bonus, and again encouraged employees to check its advantages.

On the other side, the IAM union clarified its position in a post published on X, calling the workers' fight "more important than a contract" and speaking of a battle for "justice". "Boeing talks about 'respect,' but it has spent decades weakening the very workers who build its planes. IAM members in St. Louis are on strike because talk costs little. This fight is bigger than a single contract: it's about justice", the organization wrote it, accusing the company of having failed to keep promises.

The dispute has drawn the attention of a group of more than 120 members of Congress. The Congressional Labor Caucus, in a statement also published on X, urged Boeing to return to the bargaining table. "We urge Boeing to return to the bargaining table with the machinists' union. Boeing workers are the backbone of the company and it is time they receive the solid contract they deserve", the statement read. A clear signal of solidarity with the strikers and additional pressure on the aerospace giant.