Membership Overwhelmingly Approves Take-It-Or-Leave It Contract

Unionized machinists at three former Boeing Commercial Division plants now owned by Onex took a second look Saturday and voted overwhelmingly to approve a contract with the new owner.

With an 89-percent majority, the machinists decided they could indeed live with the take-it-or-leave-it offer from Onex-owned Mid-Western Aircraft Systems -- virtually the same as the one they turned down just last month.

"They voted for jobs, and they voted for a new beginning," Machinists union aerospace coordinator Dick Schneider told the Wichita Eagle after Saturday's vote at the Kansas Coliseum.

Saying he was "extremely pleased" with the outcome of the vote, Onex managing director Nigel Wright told the Eagle, he is "cognizant that this is an opportunity to work in really close partnership with the union to do everything we hope to do here, which is become a world-class competitor, get new work... and bring new jobs into the community."

Onex just completed the deal to purchase Boeing plants in Wichita, Tulsa and McAlester, OK. After machinists turned down the deal last month, Onex decided to go around the union and pose workers a direct-from-the-plant deal.

 
"We'll swallow our pride and go on," said Tina Weatherman, one of the 4,400 workers affected by the vote. "And hope that they'll bring in more work like they promised us."

FMI: www.onex.com