WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Workers at Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita voted Wednesday to reject the company’s contract offer and go on strike. The four-year contract proposal included an average wage increase of 4% per year, along with annual bonuses and cost-of-living adjustments.
The proposed contract would have also increased insurance co-pays and offered assistance with the price of some prescription drugs.
The Machinists Union and Spirit began negotiating on behalf of nearly 8,000 workers in May. The union endorsed the company’s final offer but it was rejected by the workers. The strike is set to begin Saturday.
Workers at the facility last went on strike in 1995, when it was still owned by Boeing. Spirit is Wichita’s largest employer and Boeing’s largest supplier.
