Spirit union employee strike could hurt local economy, aviation industry
23 June 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The deadline looms for what appears to be an imminent strike after the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers District Lodge 70 overwhelmingly voted “no” to a contract agreement with Spirit AeroSystems Wednesday.
Later that day, the company released a statement telling union workers not to show up for work until further notice. However, many workers KSN spoke with say they have been saving up in case they had to go on strike. Several, like Paris Littlejohn, say they’re also currently looking into temporary work just in case.
“I might have to look for a little part-time job or something until they figure things out,” he said.
Littlejohn says he’s been working with a temp agency to secure work if a strike were to last for several months.
“I’m cool for two to three months,” he said. “So, it’s really, the ball’s in [Spirit’s] court.”
IAM District Lodge 70 President Cornell Beard says the union and Spirit AeroSystems will be back at the bargaining table at 10 a.m. this Saturday—hours after the current contract expires.
“You know, I quite honestly would have liked to have been back today, you know, but this is in the company’s hand when we go back,” Beard said.
David Woodward, a transportation dispatcher who has worked for Spirit since the company took over Boeing’s Wichita division in 2005, says he doesn’t anticipate a mass exodus from the company. However, he says this tentative contract agreement could still be the breaking point for many employees.
“There will certainly be those who will not come back … there’s too many opportunities right now, and there’s people hiring all over the United States with great wages,” Woodward said.
Beard says a weekly $200 stipend will be given to union workers participating on the strike line. But for workers like Littlejohn, he says that sum is just not enough to make ends meet for himself and several of his coworkers.
“If it goes that long, I mean, you find something better, they probably won’t come back,” Littlejohn said. “I mean, I wouldn’t.”
Beard says a federal mediator will be involved Saturday when negotiations start back up again. The location for that meeting has not yet been disclosed.