Union ends strike at Textron Aviation
October 20, 2024
Union members voted to end their strike at Textron Aviation on Saturday and Sunday 19-20 October, accepting a new five-year contract. On Sunday 20 October it was announced that workers will start to return to work from Wednesday, 23 October.
The strike began when IAM Local 774 (District 70) members voted down the Textron’s last, best, and final offer when their previous contract expired on 22 September. Nearly 5,000 union members at three campuses in Wichita have been on strike since then, primarily due to dissatisfaction with the company’s offers over wages and healthcare.
The new five-year contract adds a year of General Wage Increase (GWI) to provide ‘stability’ to Textron employees and their families and will bring the total general wage increase to 31% over the five-year term, including an immediate 11% raise upon ratification, and a cost of living adjustment has more than doubled from US $700 to $1,500 per year. There will be a guaranteed US $3,000 lump sum payment for each year of the contract, which can be added to workers’ paychecks, retirement plans or Health Savings Accounts.
Long-term employees will receive new ‘longevity pay’, and there will be a cap
on increases to annual health insurance premiums. Additional free services (primary care visits, preventative care, mental health care, health coaching, physical therapy, lab services and X-rays) will be provided at the Plane Healthy Wellness Center and Pharmacy locations, and there will be no premium increases to the company’s no deductible health plan from 2025 – 2029.
Before the vote, Todd McKee, senior vice president at Textron Aviation said that: “We value our Textron Aviation team and remain committed to signing an agreement that recognizes our employees’ contributions and sets us all up for long-term success.”
