WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Following Wednesday night’s vote rejecting a new contract with Spirit AeroSystems and agreeing to a strike, aircraft workers belonging to International Machinists and Aerospace Workers, IAM Local 839 (District 70) declared their decision opposing the what was offered to them.
Workers who spoke to 12 News said they had been unhappy since the last time a contract offer was on the table. They made their dissatisfaction clear Wednesday night at Hartman Arena, where the union voted on whether to accept or reject Spirit’s contract offer.
“It was very loud, my ears were still ringing, they’re ringing from it today. It was just great,” said Spirit worker Kathy Dyer, who was among a healthy majority of union members assembled who opposed the contract offer.
In Wednesday night’s vote, 79% of respondents voted to reject the treaty. In addition, 85% voted in favor of a strike.
The workers represented will go on strike at midnight on Saturday.
Dyer has been with Spirit AeroSystems for more than 10 years. She said the new contract Spirit offered wasn’t working.
“We have to tell the company that we are not satisfied, we have not been satisfied for 13 years,” she said.
Dyer said health insurance is one of the problems.
“The top priority before negotiations began was maintaining our core insurance plan,” she said. “You can beat a dog’s feathers, but that doesn’t make him a chicken. They can’t name this insurance plan that they offered us “Core” and call it our Core Plan.”
Dyer said she believes Spirit should do better.
“We’ve been under contract for 13 years. We haven’t seen any increases that have even kept pace with inflation. Sixteen percent, don’t get me wrong, is a good amount, but it can do even better. They can do a lot better,” she said of the proposed raise in the rejected contract.
On Tuesday night, the night before the machinists gathered to vote on a new contract with Spirit AeroSystems, Dyer said they were briefed on a list of drugs the company doesn’t cover in its health insurance plan.
“I feel like there’s an absolute lack of transparency,” said Casey Byrne, the wife of a Spirit employee. “I think it was sent last, too. People who worked the first shift might have been in bed already.”
Dyer said she felt betrayed by the lack of communication.
“They tried to smuggle that into us. They’ve done everything there is. “I don’t know what would have happened in hindsight,” Dyer said.
Union leaders tell 12 News that negotiations on the previous contract proposal took several weeks. Both parties have sought federal mediation and are working to arrange a meeting as soon as possible.
Spirit halted production at its factory on Thursday due to the strike vote. The work stoppage is scheduled to begin at midnight on Saturday.
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