Textron Strikers Negotiating With Management
October 11, 2024
The ongoing strike at Textron Aviation is now in its third week, but the company and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 774 (District 70), have decided to resume negotiations after three weeks of strike action by the Union. This is the same union (but not the same Lodge) that is undertaking industrial action against Boeing.
Employees in Wichita overwhelmingly rejected the company’s latest contract proposals and voted to strike on Saturday 21 September 2024. The strike then began on Monday 23 September. The strike involved about 5,000 workers employed at various Textron Aviation facilities around Wichita, Kansas, and aimed to achieve higher wages, stronger protections against layoffs, better, cheaper health care insurance, and an improved retirement plan.
Striking workers were cut off from their company-sponsored United Healthcare health insurance on 30 September, forcing strikers to risk going without health insurance, or pay high insurance premiums while not being paid, or return to work in order to keep themselves and their families covered.
The company released a statement on October 8, 2024, saying that new negotiations would start on 10 October 2024. Maggie Topping, Textron’s Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Communications noted that: “We value our long-standing relationship with Union leaders and members and remain committed to collaborating and agreeing upon a contract that acknowledges employees’ contributions, setting us all up for long-term success.”
The strike will continue during the negotiations, which, the Union said, would focus on “GWI, Health Insurance, and paid time off.”
IAM Southern Territory General Vice President Craig Martin said that: “Our members will remain strong to secure those hard-earned wages, a solid healthcare package, and an essential retirement.”
On 10 October, the Union negotiating committee announced that: “Today, we met with the company and presented our demands based on the membership survey that was taken after the rejection vote last month. We must now wait for the company to respond. In the meantime HOLD THE LINE! The strike is not over – we need you on the lines throughout the day – please fill in the gaps from noon onward. We must remain unified and strong to HOLD THE LINE! When we fight, we win!”
