WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2025 — A bipartisan group of 17 members of the House Armed Services Committee has signed a letter urging Boeing to return to the bargaining table and negotiate in good faith with more than 3,200 striking members of IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) District 837 in the St. Louis area.
The bipartisan letter—led by U.S. Reps. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) and Don Bacon (R-Neb.)—calls on Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg to “return to the bargaining table with IAM District 837 and negotiate a fair contract in a timely manner,” citing the growing impact of the strike on national security and U.S. defense programs. Boeing’s failure to propose a fair contract has already led the U.S. Air Force to publicly acknowledge that F-15EX deliveries are delayed.
“Boeing Defense plays a vital role in safeguarding our national security and sustaining U.S. leadership on the global stage,” the members wrote. “That success is powered by a dedicated and highly skilled workforce who every day produce planes and other defense equipment that the United States government and our service members rely upon.”
IAM District 837 members build and support the production of the F-15EX, F/A-18, T-7A, MQ-25, and the future F-47 fighter jet.
“Communication and negotiation are crucial to help navigate out of the current situation that preserves the long-term balance between workers’ rights and the defense of our nation,” the letter continues. “We urge you to return to the bargaining table with IAM District 837 and to negotiate and reach a fair contract in a timely manner.”
For more than 12 weeks, IAM Union members have stood strong on the picket lines while Boeing continues to reject fair and responsible union proposals that would bring the strike to an end. The IAM Union has continued to present reasonable, good-faith contract offers that ensure Boeing can maintain the skilled workforce needed to meet its military delivery obligations. On Monday, Oct. 27, the IAM District 837 bargaining committee proposed yet another offer to Boeing in an attempt to end the strike, which the company summarily rejected without making any counter offer.
“Congress is sending a clear message that it’s time for Boeing to respect the highly skilled and experienced IAM Union members who build our nation’s most advanced defense systems,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “Our members have offered fair, responsible proposals to end this strike and get back to work. Boeing’s refusal to negotiate in good faith is not only hurting working families—it’s threatening critical defense programs and our national security.”
The IAM Union has now submitted two Unfair Labor Practice Charge against Boeing for continuing to reject union proposals without making any counter offers addressing worker concerns.
This latest show of congressional support builds on the growing bipartisan concern over Boeing’s refusal to reach a fair contract. Earlier this month, U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) voiced support for IAM Union members during a Senate HELP Committee hearing where a District 837 member testified about Boeing’s bad-faith tactics. In addition, Reps. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.), Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) and the Congressional Labor Caucus have joined calls for Boeing to bargain fairly and protect good-paying jobs in the St. Louis region.
The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across the United States and Canada.
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