Print edition: 
Machinists union officials will reopen negotiations with Hawker Beechcraft, a year before the current contract is set to expire.
The results of inaction would be "grim, drastically affecting the employment levels and the future of the Wichita operations," the union told members today.
Talks will begin Thursday.
The company has been asking for cost savings, flexibility and a longer-term agreement to be more competitive.
The union and the company have been meeting for several months.
Hawker Beechcraft officials are looking at Mississippi and Louisiana to put a facility. And it has operations in Mexico, the union notes.
Once negotiations conclude, members will vote on whether to accept a new proposal. A rejection would keep the current contract in place until next August, when it's set to expire.
