St. Louis Rally Marks $60 Billion F-15 Sale

IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger was among labor leaders and elected officials invited to speak at a rally in St. Louis, MO, to commemorate a pending $60 billion sale of IAM-built F-15 fighter aircraft.

Machinist Union leaders from District 837 and International Headquarters joined with elected officials from Missouri and Illinois for a rally at the Boeing facility in St. Louis, MO, to herald the economic impact of the pending $60 billion purchase of F-15 aircraft by Saudi Arabia and the recent sale of additional F/A-18 aircraft to the U.S. Navy.

“The pending sale of 84 F-15 fighter aircraft to a valuable U.S. ally will mark an important national security event, but it also means tens of thousands of jobs in dozens of states, including hundreds of jobs for IAM members right here in St. Louis,” said IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger, who addressed nearly 700 workers and guests in a massive final assembly hangar at the Boeing facility. “The link between strong national security and strong economic security is made even more durable by the remarkable quality of the aircraft our members produce here.”

Buffenbarger was joined at the event by IAM Vice President Rich Michalski, District 837 President and Directing Business Representative Gordon King and Aerospace Coordinator Mark Blondin. Elected officials who took part in this celebration of American workmanship included Missouri Democratic Governor Jay Nixon, Illinois Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, Missouri Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill, Missouri Republican Senator Kit Bond and others.

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