Presented Just Three Weeks After its “Best and Final” Offer

Three weeks ago, Textron Aviation presented its “best and final” offer to its striking machinists and was rejected. Now, the manufacturer has returned to the table with a better and final-er contract proposal which is on the cusp of ratification.

The previous deal included a 26% general wage increase over four years. The union overwhelmingly voted to turn down the offer and began striking on September 23 outside Textron’s plant in Wichita, Kansas. They then forwarded a list of their demands to Textron.

The latest proposal was presented to the union on October 17. It contains a 31% general wage increase over the five-year contract life, an 11% immediate raise, a $3,000 bonus per year, a $1,500 maximum cost of living adjustment (COLA), and additional longevity pay. It also includes several healthcare benefits: insurance premium caps, no premium increases between 2025 and 2029, and free care visits, health coaching, physical therapy, and labs/X-rays.

“In returning to the table, the company responded to the negotiating committee’s request for an extended contract duration by adding an additional year of General Wage Increase (GWI) to provide stability to our employees, their families, and our community,” Textron Aviation explained in a statement. The manufacturer also claimed that all negotiations have been made in good faith and that the new contract is fair.

Union members, for the most part, seem to think the deal is putting a bandaid on a bullet wound. Several have stated that Textron is improperly addressing issues with healthcare, pension, and wages by merely adding a year to the original four-year contract life.

“It’s an unfair contract by those who’ve been out here for forever, for 20-some-plus years or whatever. But you want to give us, throw us bones, but not really give us what we’re looking for. So, yes, it’s [an] unfair contract,” commented union member Rocky Baldwin. “You know, if you’re not willing to take care of yourself, no one is. So you got to stand up for yourself.”

FMI: www.textron.com