89 Percent Of IAM Workers Voted To Walk Out

The situation was tense outside the gates at Hawker Beechcraft's plant in Wichita, KS Monday morning... with over 100 machinists on strike, working to prevent employees from crossing the picket line.

"I've never seen the union this fired up before," 30-year employee Jim Greer told the Wichita Eagle. "I'm going to stay out as long as it takes."

Drivers attempting to enter the gates were confronted for a few seconds at a time by picketers, who officially began strike action against the planemaker at 12:01 am Monday, when their current labor contract expired.

The Associated Press reports workers rejected a proposal by the company Saturday, with 90 percent voting against the offer and 89 percent voting to strike. Reasons for the vote ran the usual gamut, including oft-stated concerns about pensions and health care benefits. Hawker Beech workers also said the company's proposed contract did little to address a pay disparity between Hawker Beech employees, and their better-paid counterparts down the road at Cessna.

Of particular concern to workers, however, is the fear the company will outsource their jobs to Mexico.

As ANN reported, in June the International Association of Machinists said it had uncovered a five-year plan, dubbed "Project Pelican," detailing instructions on how Hawker Beechcraft planned to conceal the scope of its plans to outsource production work to what is currently a relatively small production facility in Chihuahua.

"I've never been so proud of our union brothers and sisters," said machinist Martin Peterson, who has worked at the Wichita plant for 20 years. "To finally get our contract vote right made me proud."

Peterson added his wife is working two jobs to make ends meet while the strike goes on, and that the couple has saved money to wait out the strike if it should go on for weeks.

Hawker did not comment Monday morning to the AP, but it did release a statement Saturday expressing disappointment about the union's vote to strike.

"The company's offer was the best offer made to employees in more than 20 years," Hawker Beech said in the written statement. "The company addressed every major issue brought to the bargaining table by union leadership, as the proposed package contains increased wages, more choices in health care plans, and improved medical, dental, vision and pension benefits."

The Hawker proposal outlined plans for 4 percent pay raises in each of the three years spelled out in the contract, along with increased vacation time and a $2 per year increase in pension plan funding.

Company representatives concede Cessna's hourly workers make about 30 cents per hour more than Hawker Beechcraft workers... but that's because Cessna has a greater order backlog, they said, and posts higher profits.

That reasoning did not play well to striking workers. "We are tired of being second-class," said second-generation machinist Juice Bruner. "They want to be a world-class company, treat us as world-class workers. We want our fair share."

"I thought the whole contract was disrespectful for the workers," added machinist Derrick McDonald. "This is an aircraft town. We are the lowest paid."

FMI: www.goiam.org, www.hawkerbeechcraft.com