The Machinists union at Textron Aviation went on strike Monday after rejecting the company’s final contract offer Saturday.
The contract would have increased wages by 26% over the next four years. It would have also given union members an annual lump sum bonus of $3,000.
The union needed a simple majority to reject the contract but more than two-thirds of its members needed to approve a strike. It began at 12:01 a.m. Monday after the current four-year contract expired.
Two strike headquarters are set up: one on the east side on Harry Street at the Carpenters Union building, and another on the west side at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Apprenticeship building.
The union represents nearly 5,000 Textron Aviation employees. Its negotiating committee had endorsed the final contract offer earlier this week.
Textron is one of Wichita’s largest employers with more than 10,000 workers. It makes and services Cessna and Beechcraft aircraft at plants in east and west Wichita.
It’s the first strike at the company since Beechcraft Machinists walked out in 2008. Textron Aviation, which was formed in 2014, includes the former Cessna and Beechcraft companies.
Textron Aviation officials said in a statement that they were “disappointed” in the strike vote.
“The contract offer, which took six weeks of thoughtful and good-faith negotiations by both the Union and the company negotiating committees, provided a plan that aimed to protect the future of all Textron Aviation employees and the Wichita community,” the statement said.
“No one benefits from a strike, and the company has made every effort to avoid one. However, as would be expected of any responsible business, the company has prepared for this scenario to ensure the business continues to operate for customers.”
Most non-union employees are expected to report to work Monday. The company has told them to prepare to cross picket lines leading into the Textron Aviation facilities.
It’s unknown when negotiations between the company and the union will resume.
It’s the second aviation strike in about a year. Machinists workers at Spirit AeroSystems went on strike in June 2023 for nearly a week.
