Striking workers outside the Spirit AeroSystems plant in Wichita, KS./Wichita Business Journal photo
By Bryan Corliss
June 21, 2023, © Leeham News – Spirit AeroSystems has presented a revised contract offer to striking members of the International Association of Machinists.
“We have delivered a revised offer to the IAM following days of positive discussions with IAM representatives, along with the assistance of the federal mediator,” the company confirmed to LNA. “We remain committed to reaching a timely and fair resolution.”
IAM District Lodge 70 in Wichita, which is the parent organization for striking members of Local 839, announced Monday night that it would hold a mandatory meeting for union stewards today to discuss a contract offer. However, from the statement, it wasn’t clear whether the meeting would be to cover a new offer, or review the one that workers rejected with a 79% no vote June 21.
This morning, however, Spirit confirmed to Wichita station KSN-TV, as well as the Wichita Business Journal, that it had presented a revised offer to the IAM. Any details would be released later in coordination with the union, Spirit said.
Spirit and IAM negotiators have been meeting with a federal mediator since Saturday.
If Spirit has presented a revised offer, it would not be surprising that the union’s negotiating team would want to review it with union stewards before deciding whether to take it to the entire membership for a vote. The union stewards are full-time employees of Spirit who volunteer as union representatives to assist their coworkers in resolving questions surrounding pay, benefits and other contract questions. As such, they will have the best sense of how their coworkers would respond to the new offer.
Picket lines went up around the factory just after midnight Saturday morning. Today, with thunderstorms in the forecast, Spirit invited strikers to take cover in the shacks manned by security guards at the factory’s various gates. “Our primary concern is for their safety,” the company said.
The reporting sounds pretty positive, and I hope the strike is quickly and amicably resolved.
Boeing’s Main 737 Supplier, Union Forge Agreement to End Strike
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-27/boeing-s-main-737-supplier-union-forge-agreement-to-end-strike#xj4y7vzkg
It still has to be voted on.
The same headline appeared last week — and then the membership vote scuttled it.
I think the union should take a long and hard look at the offer when the co. said last time best and final . Don’t let them take it to you be union strong!
It was a bad contract, this revised “best, last and final” still has plenty of barbs hidden in the fine print.
Not this time…
The Storm clouds have passed… for good..
Contract ratified !!!
Excellent that the union managed to get a better package than what was offered last time.
This, of course, will increase costs for BA — an ironic backfiring of the company’s “Partnering for Poverty” program.
I heard spirit has enough fusilodges back up for at least 6 months so what would happen if they reject the contract this time I know spirit can get other works from other states to come to Wichita if they have too do what do u think just asking
I hope the contract is good for the men and women at Spirit who actually build the product.
A well-treated workforce is a conscientious workforce.