Hawker Beechcraft, union to meet

Hawker Beechcraft and the Machinists union plan to meet for the first time since a strike began more than two weeks ago.

A federal mediator requested that negotiators for the company and the union meet to “explore options concerning the strike and negotiations,” the union said.

“The IAM is ready and willing to meet with the federal mediator at any time,” Ron Eldridge, the union’s aerospace coordinator, said in a statement. “On behalf of the IAM Negotiators, I have accepted his request.

Union spokesman Bob Wood said the mediator asked that neither side disclose the time or location of the meeting.

Machinists union members voted Aug. 2 to reject Hawker Beechcraft’s offer of a three-year agreement and strike. A work stoppage began Aug. 4.

The company called the offer its best in 20 years and totaled more then $100æmillion over three years in new costs.

Health care, pensions, subcontracting were major issues.

The union opposed a reduction in earned time off for new hires from 10 days maximum to five days, unrestricted overtime for irregular work weeks and the downgrading of two job classifications for new hires.

The rejected offer proposed wage increases of 4æpercent in each of the three years, a $2 increase a year in the pension plan and a choice of going to Wesley Medical Center or Via Christi Regional Medical Center.

The union represents about 4,700 hourly workers in Wichita and about 500 in Salina.

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