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Talks to resume for first time since strike began August 4

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Striking workers want deal closer to 38% wage hike, IAM

official

says

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Boeing Defense has maintained production using non-union

workers, says spokesperson

(Adds details throughout)

By Dan Catchpole

Aug 22 (Reuters) - Boeing ( BA ) and officials of the

striking machinists union are slated to resume contract

negotiations on Monday, the company and union confirmed Friday.

Roughly 3,200 members of the International Association of

Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) went on strike at Boeing

Defense's St. Louis-area facilities on August 4 after rejecting

the company's four-year contract offer. They assemble Boeing's ( BA )

F-15 and F/A-18 fighters, the T-7 trainer jet, munitions, and

wing sections for the company's commercial 777X jet.

The company has managed to maintain production, flight

testing and other work so far using non-union workers, Boeing

Defense spokesperson Didi VanNierop said.

On Thursday, top machinists union officials and U.S.

Representative Wesley Bell, a Missouri Democrat, walked a picket

line with striking workers, pressing the company for a contract

closer to an agreement reached last year with its Seattle-area

workers.

Boeing's ( BA ) top St. Louis executive, Dan Gillian, responded

with a statement on Thursday defending the offer rejected by IAM

District 837 members, saying, "Our offer was strong then and is

strong now with an average of 40% wage growth."

Workers want a contract offer with higher general wage

increases, faster wage scale progression, and improvements to

the company's 401(k) retirement plan, IAM International

President Brian Bryant told Reuters on Thursday.

Bryant was among the union leaders who joined workers in

picketing, along with Bell, whose congressional district

includes many of the workers.

The offer rejected by St. Louis-area workers included a 20%

general wage increase, a $5,000 ratification bonus and more

vacation time and sick leave. At the time, Boeing ( BA ) said the bonus

would not be offered again if that offer was rejected.

The threat "disrespected" District 837 members, Bryant said.

"I'm a little pissed off right now."

Last November, the roughly 33,000 members of the IAM

District 751, who assemble most of Boeing's ( BA ) jetliners in the

Northwest, ended a seven-week strike when they approved a

four-year contract that included a 38% general wage increase,

higher retirement plan contributions, restoration of an annual

bonus, a $12,000 signing bonus, and a pledge to build Boeing's ( BA )

next commercial jet in the Seattle area, if the program is

launched within the contract's duration.

Boeing's ( BA ) defense division is expanding manufacturing

facilities in the St. Louis area for the new U.S. Air Force

fighter jet, the F-47A, after it won the contract this year.