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Machinists' summer slate full

BY MOLLY MCMILLIN

The Wichita Eagle

Machinists union officials in Wichita have a busy summer ahead as labor negotiations with seven companies are slated to open.

Contract negotiations begin this month with Spirit AeroSystems, Boeing and Hawker Beechcraft.

The Machinists also will negotiate contracts with VAE Nortrak North America in Newton, Johnson Controls, Yingling Aviation and Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Coatings in Andover.

"Normally, we have numerous contracts expiring," said District 70 president Steve Rooney. "This is the first time we've had so many expiring in this close of a time frame."

Talks open today with Spirit, where the Machinists represent 6,200 workers.

The contract with Spirit -- signed during the sale of Boeing's commercial aircraft division -- allows negotiations to reopen on economic issues. Any changes negotiated in the round of talks would be in force until the contract expires in June 2010.

The top issues are pensions, cost-of-living increases, improved health care and general wage increases, Rooney said. Workers will not be able to strike, he said.

On Friday, talks open with Boeing in Seattle for workers in the Puget Sound area and Wichita, who are covered under the same agreement. Roughly 750 Boeing Wichita employees are represented by the union. The three-year contract expires Sept. 2.

"I think that one's going to be a very tough one this year," Rooney said.

Boeing is seeking to eliminate a pension plan for new employees and replace it with a defined contribution plan, similar to a 401(k), Rooney said.

"That is a strike issue," he said.

During contract negotiations in 2005, workers rejected Boeing's offer and went on strike for 28 days.

Workers are seeking improved health care, pensions and job security, Rooney said.

And on May 29, talks with Hawker Beechcraft begin. The union represents roughly 4,000 workers there.

Health care, wages, cost-of-living increases and job security are the top issues, Rooney said. The three-year agreement expires Aug. 3.

During the last two rounds of negotiations, workers rejected the company's contract offer but didn't have enough votes to strike. Without the strike votes, the contract went into effect by default.

Other negotiations:

• VAE Nortrak operates the "rail mill," which manufactures track switch points in Newton. Talks open May 19. The contract expires Aug. 16. The Machinists represent about 70 people there.

• Johnson Controls talks are expected to begin in mid-May, Rooney said. About 750 employees are represented. The three-year agreement expires July 31.

• Yingling Aviation negotiations begin in July. About 35 workers are represented. The contract expires in September.

• Talks open in July at Sherwin-Williams Aerospace in Andover. More than 100 workers are represented. The four-year contract expires in September.