Truth and Facts 2010

2010-07-08T21:46:00.000-05:00

June 25 2010

2010-06-25T19:58:00.001-05:00

The Membership has Voted to Reject the Company's offer By 57% and vote to strike by 58%
but LESS THAN TWO-THIRDS vote to strike, the contract is automatically accepted by default. Our Constitution requires a 66.6% majority to reaffirm the Strike Sanction. There will be no strike.
The new agreement goes in to effect at 12:01 am.

IAM Contract Highlights video

2010-06-24T14:00:00.003-05:00

Bloomberg News Article

2010-06-23T18:46:00.001-05:00

(Updates with union’s comments starting in fifth paragraph.)

By Susanna Ray

June 23 (Bloomberg) -- Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc.’s machinists will vote on a 10-year labor contract on June 25 that may set a standard for longer-term agreements with companies such as Boeing Co., the workers’ union said.

Labor contracts in the aerospace industry usually span three to four years. The tentative agreement with the Wichita, Kansas-based aircraft-parts maker is “precedent-setting” and contains “the strongest job security language in the industry,” the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said in a statement today.

Spirit Aero Chief Executive Officer Jeff Turner and the president of the union, Tom Buffenbarger, began meeting in January to lay the framework for longer accords that protect employees while giving companies flexibility. Buffenbarger has said he hopes the agreement will be a model for other suppliers and planemakers, including Boeing, which has seen two strikes since 2008 and is facing a third next week.

If approved, the contract would be “the first of its kind in the industry, the first of its kind in the nation,” IAM Local Lodge 839 said in a letter today to its 5,900 members announcing the details of the agreement reached yesterday.

“We have 10,000 aircraft workers in Wichita laid off, we’re having outsourcing to Mexico and other states and plant closures across the industry,” said IAM spokesman Bob Wood.

“We think this could be a new model for other aerospace contracts we have in Wichita and elsewhere, like Boeing, because we’re tired of seeing jobs fly away.”

Incentive-Based Raises

Machinists would get pension improvements through the entire contract; medical costs that will be kept “in check;”

salary increases that are more incentive-based and are linked to progress toward goals similar to those set for senior management; and 150 shares of stock, Wood said.

The company, in turn, gets labor stability, the flexibility needed to adapt to changing demand and a new performance-based reward system that’s a first for the IAM and will keep costs from escalating beyond market norms, said Spirit spokesman Ken Evans.

“This is a whole new kind of relationship where we’ve got both parties focused on positive improvement versus on renegotiating the next contract in three years,” Evans said.

“We’re talking about a 10-year contract with no strikes, and you can imagine what a big selling tool that’s going to be for customers.”

Spirit Aero makes sections of every Boeing model, including the entire fuselage for the 737, so profit was hurt by a two- month strike by Boeing machinists in 2008 that shuttered the planemaker’s factories. Boeing last year cited labor stability as the reason behind its decision to build a new assembly plant in South Carolina, where workers can’t be forced to join unions, instead of at its historical Seattle-area manufacturing hub.

Tentative Agreement Info

2010-06-23T18:45:00.001-05:00

Available at the LL 839 website, LL839.org.

Contract Vote information

2010-06-22T19:19:00.000-05:00

Click on flyer for large size

June 22 6:40 pm Update

2010-06-22T18:40:00.004-05:00

Brothers and Sisters

Your Negotiating Team has reached a tentative agreement. Your Negotiating Team has sent it to the printer and as soon as it has been printed it will be in the shops for distribution.

In Solidarity,
Your Negotiating Team

Update from Negotiating Committee 6/22 11:30 AM

2010-06-22T11:32:00.000-05:00

We are still at the bargaining table with the company, working diligently to come to an agreement. As soon as we can conclude negotiations, and put together the proposal, we will get it out to you.

Your Negotiating Committee

Update June 21st

2010-06-21T14:22:00.002-05:00

Brothers and Sisters:

After a long weekend and many long hours we are in the final throws of the negotiations. There is still a lot of work to be done. We are working as hard as we can to get everything done. Late nights and tonight looks like it will be a long one. The company passed a full package to us and we countered back with a full package of our own. We are waiting for them to come back to us now. We are optimistic and are remaining hopeful. We have some of our experts here from the International -financial expert and general counsel. They are really sharp guys and we appreciate them being here to crunch the numbers....!

I know everyone is anxious about when we vote and if we will be walking out on Friday - but tell them to hang tight. All of the details will be worked out and put out to the membership as soon as we get it all done!

In Solidarity,

Your Negotiating Team

KAKE TV video from yesterday's rally

2010-06-17T17:37:00.001-05:00

Update June 16th

2010-06-17T09:38:00.000-05:00

Click on flyer for large size

2010-06-16T09:14:00.000-05:00

Click for large size

Update June 14th

2010-06-14T20:25:00.004-05:00

Click on image for large size.

Update June 12th

2010-06-12T10:48:00.000-05:00

The Team is in meetings with the Company right now. They are meeting on economic issues.
So far there has been a lot of good discussion and dialogue on both sides. There has been good cooperation on both sides, resulting in significant improvements on non-economic language.
The Committee has completed the non-economics with only a portion of an article referred to the main table per the main table's request.
The Committee has reiterated the top issues of concern to the Company based off our membership survey results.
They have made a formal request at the main table that we would like to have our, best and final offer to our membership two (2) to three (3) days in advance so that all our members will have time to review the summary before vote.
There will be a Rally for all Aerospace Workers from all Locals. The details are being finalized and the time, location and date of the Rally will be determined and released early next week.

In Solidarity
Your Negotiation Team

Update June 7th.

2010-06-07T18:35:00.000-05:00

Click on image for large size.

6/3 Update

2010-06-03T20:41:00.000-05:00

Brothers and Sisters:

The Negotiating Committee is meeting daily with the Company’s subcommittee. We are still working on language changes that were recommended to us by our Contract Language Committee.

As a committee, we did an informal survey in the 737 Brojte machine shop to inquire about interest in a variable work schedule. We met with all three shifts to gather information on this issue and will be returning those findings to the subcommittee and main table. We are still working on the M03 Facilities and M12 Tooling job descriptions. These have been productive meetings and we are right on track on our non-economic items.

Beginning June 4th, the Main Table will start meeting to negotiate all unresolved non-economic issues. Your Committee is working hard to resolve these issues.

Please understand that this committee cannot put out specifics concerning our proposals because things can change on a daily basis. We know that the membership is anxious to hear details about the negotiations, but we try and update you as much as possible.

Know this. We are committed to getting our membership the best contract we can and we will work diligently to do so. The concerns and needs of our members are of the utmost importance to us and we are working hard to pass this information on to the main table by way of existing contract language changes.

In Solidarity,

Your Negotiating Team

5/28 Update

2010-05-28T08:04:00.000-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

The Company subcommittee countered our non-economic proposal. Your Negotiating Committee is reviewing the counter proposal and preparing to pass a counter proposal back. We are looking at different job descriptions and meeting with the Company's subcommittees on possible changes.

On June 04 2010, the subcommittees will report to the main negotiating table on their progress for action. Again we remind you that unless you hear something from the Negotiating Committee, it is just a rumor.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day, a union-negotiated holiday. The next several weeks promise to be busy and eventful for our union, so rest up!

In Solidarity,

Your Negotiating Committee

What's happening in America

2010-05-18T16:52:00.000-05:00

Why our negotiations are important. It's about AMERICAN JOBS.

Negotiations Update 5/17

2010-05-17T15:02:00.000-05:00

Your committee is working on non-economic issues at this time. The negotiating team has broken into subcommittees which are working and meeting with the company on job classification issues.

Jobs subcommittees:

Kathy Petersen and Howard Johnson – M03 and facilities maintenance issues.
David Eagle and Michael Burleigh – M12 Tooling
Becky Ledbetter and Dennis Williams – M17 RepairCenter Mechanic.

There will be additional committees formed soon to address other issues to be worked. Our Committee is working diligently to address these important matters.

We have not yet entered into economic negotiations, so any rumors you have heard are just that, rumors. There are no economic proposals on the table at this time from either side.

Thanks to all the stewards who met with the IAM’s Jim Leslie last week. The meetings were very productive and it was important that we heard about the issues directly from our Stewards. We’ll keep you informed as Brother Leslie and his team compiles the report.

In Solidarity,

Your Negotiating Committee

Steward meetings

2010-05-13T08:27:00.001-05:00

Throughout this week the IAM is having preparatory meetings with all the Union Stewards concerning the contract negotiations with Spirit. These meetings are following up from the March meeting where International President Tom Buffenbarger, CEO Jeff Turner and Dick Gephardt spoke to the Stewards and the Managers. In order to improve our communications the IAM is listening to your Shop Steward's issues and ideas. Our goal is an informed strong membership.

Jim Leslie is facilitating the meetings. Brother Leslie is a 40-year IAM leader. He is retired from the IAM, and was the Director of the William W. Winpisinger Center at Placid Harbor for 12 years. He has served in almost every capacity in the IAM, including as Business Representative in District Lodge 60 in Detroit, MI.

May Machinists Matters

2010-05-10T14:40:00.000-05:00

Click here to download the May edition of the Machinists Matters newsletter.

Strike Sanction passes.

2010-05-08T15:11:00.001-05:00

The Strike Sanction Vote passed by an overwhelming 98% margin. We had a very large turnout, thanks to everyone who came out and voted!

Photos from the Strike Sanction Vote

2010-05-08T12:23:00.001-05:00

H

Hat Tip to Stan Chapman for the photos!

There's still time to get to the Koch Arena and vote!

Strike Sanction Vote Today!

2010-05-08T07:02:00.000-05:00

Be sure to stop by and vote, at the Koch Arena, 21st and Hillside. Polls open at 8 AM, close at 2 PM. Stick around for the Local Lodge Meeting at 10 AM. We'll post the results of the vote as soon as they are available.

Welcome to the new blog!

2010-05-08T06:52:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the new blog - this will be information central for the negotiations. Come back often!