Around 6,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM/IAMAW) voted Thursday to accept the latest contract offer from Spirit Aerosystems.
The worker strike that began on June 24th has officially ended. Members approved the new proposal by 63%. Last Wednesday, 79% of union members rejected Spirit’s previous offer, with 85% voting to strike.
The latest offer from Spirit includes:
- Healthcare for employees will be 100 percent unchanged from the comprehensive coverage they currently have.
- No mandatory weekend overtime.
- Signing bonus of $3,000.
- Total wage increase of 9.5% for first, a guaranteed increase of 23.5% over the life of the contract, plus annual bonuses and Cost of Living Allowance.
The four-year agreement takes effect on Wednesday, July 5th when union members return to work.
Spirit president and CEO Tom Gentile said in a statement, “We 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.”
Both sides agreed to involve a federal mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to move the negotiation process forward. The IAM negotiating committee and the company had announced on Tuesday they had reached a second tentative agreement to present to the membership. The IAM Local 839 negotiating committee unanimously recommended the proposal.
Local IAM 839 Chief Negotiator Jason Baze said in a press release, “We knew these negotiations were not going to be your typical set of talks. Our membership clearly said the original offer was unacceptable by rejecting it soundly. The committee returned to the table to address their concerns…These critical improvements demonstrate the power of collective bargaining.”
IAM members at Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita manufacture major aerostructures for companies such as Boeing and Airbus, as well as defense and business jets.
