Textron Aviation has announced that it will temporarily discontinue health insurance of striking workers in Wichita, Kansas, as the strike enters a second week.
On September 29, 2024, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 774 (District 70) at Textron Aviation in Wichita, Kansas, took to X to announce that health insurance for striking employees will be paused from September 30, 2024.
In response to the announcement, IAM Local 774 stated that it will raise the local strike benefit for members with serious health conditions who cannot go without it. The union added that those members should go to the East or West Strike Headquarters to “apply for additional assistance from the Light Aircraft Steering Committee’s local strike fund account.”
The union said the Light Aircraft Steering Committee has agreed to increase the benefit by $150 per week to those qualifying for it. The additional funding will bring the total weekly strike benefit amount to $350 per week.
In a statement published on September 30, 2024, the IAM Local 774 Negotiating Committee said it remained “ready, willing and able to reengage with the company at any point to negotiate a fair contract”.
By overwhelmingly rejecting the company’s offer and choosing to strike, the union said that its members have “made it clear that Textron executives must provide more for the skilled workforce who have made Wichita the ‘Air Capital of the World’ for generations.”
On September 28, 2024, the union shared that Craig Martin, the General Vice President of the Southern Territory, and Reggie Dixon, the Chief of Staff for the Southern Territory, joined Textron workers on strike to show their support.
On September 25, 2024, the union said mediators had been contacted and talks could “potentially resume” the following week.
Workers from the IAM Local 774 (District 70) in Wichita overwhelmingly rejected the company’s latest contract offer and voted to go on strike on September 21, 2024. The offer included a 26% salary increase over four years, along with an annual bonus and other benefits.
