Boeing reaches tentative labor deal with striking defense workers

The union that represents striking Boeing defense workers said Wednesday it has reached a tentative agreement with the company, subject to final voting this Friday.

The agreement, set for five years, includes better wages and restores a signing bonus, according to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union. Members of the union, largely based in St. Louis, Missouri, will vote on the tentative agreement on Friday morning.

Specific details of the new agreement were not immediately available. The striking workers primarily assemble and maintain F-15 fighter jets and missile systems.

More than 3,000 union members at Boeing have been on strike since the beginning of August. The employees had turned down a new contract offer, which had included 20% general wage increases and a $5,000 signing bonus, among other improvements.

The strike was the first in almost 30 years.

Before the strike, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said the effects of a potential walkout would not be huge.

“We’ll manage through this. I wouldn’t worry too much about the implications of the strike. We’ll manage our way through that,” he said on an earnings call at the end of July.

Earlier this month, Boeing hired an undisclosed amount of new workers to replace those in its defense unit to meet demand.

The defense strike comes after more than 32,000 unionized machinists who build commercial aircraft walked off the job for seven weeks after failed contract talks last year.

— CNBC’s Leslie Josephs contributed to this report.