Workers from the local affiliate number 839 of the IAM (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) at Spirit AeroSystems approved the new collective agreement this Thursday, which means ending the strike they have been carrying out since last Friday at the Wichita, Kansas plant.
This new contract, they pointed out from the IAM, significantly improves the previous version that was rejected the previous week, improving wage updates, leaving the medical coverage plan unchanged, and suspending the obligation to do overtime on weekends, among other benefits.
In terms of wages, workers will receive a cash bonus of $3,000, and an increase in wages of 9.5% in the first year, a guaranteed increase of 23.5% over the four years of the contract, as well as annual bonuses and adjustments for cost of living increases.
“We knew these negotiations were not going to be your typical set of talks”, said IAM Local 839 Chief Negotiator Jason Baze. “Our membership clearly said the original offer was unacceptable by rejecting it soundly. The committee returned to the table to address their concerns”, he added.
Tom Gentile, President and CEO of Spirit AeroSystems, said that they have “listened closely to our employees and brought forward a fair-and-competitive offer”.
“With its approval by our IAM-represented employees, we look forward to getting back to the important work of delivering quality products to our customers”, he added.
The company detailed that this Friday, June 30, they will begin to resume operations at the Wichita plant, while they expect production to fully resume by Wednesday, July 5, emphasizing that they will closely coordinate with their suppliers and customers during this process, keeping the focus on safety and quality standards.
At its Wichita plant, Spirit AeroSystems manufactures all the fuselages of the 737 MAX family, as well as various essential components of other aircraft families that represent up to 70% of the structures of narrow-body, business, and defense aircraft fuselages from Boeing, so the strike put the already beleaguered supply chain of the manufacturer at risk.
