Textron Aviation, Machinists start negotiation process for single contract

Textron Aviation and its largest union have begun the negotiation process to bring Cessna Aircraft and Beechcraft hourly workers under a single labor contract.

It’s part of the integration process begun in March when Textron, Cessna’s parent company, closed the deal to buy Beechcraft Corp., and formed Textron Aviation, the company and union said.

“The company has made tremendous progress in many areas of the business and is committed to continued investments in Beechcraft and Cessna products and in service capabilities to support Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker owners,” said a letter sent to Machinist union members this week.

A key step in realizing the vision is to partner together and have one united and coordinated labor contract, said the letter.

The letter was signed by Jim Walters, Textron Aviation senior vice president of human resources and communications, and Frank Molina, president and directing business representative for the Machinists District 70.

The negotiation process is expected to conclude by mid-October, Walters and Molina said in the letter.

“As you know, the two current agreements are separate and uncoordinated and do not reflect the current and future needs of the business,” the letter said. “This does not reflect the unification of Beechcraft and Cessna within the new Textron Aviation segment. It also prevents us from leveraging the combined skills and talents of our bargaining unit employees.”

The Machinists represent 2,494 hourly workers at Cessna under Local Lodge 774. At Beechcraft, the union represents 1,627 hourly workers under Local Lodge 733.

Beechcraft’s current five-year labor agreement expires in 2016; Cessna’s seven-year agreement expires in 2017.

When contacted for comment, Textron Aviation spokeswoman Nicole Alexander said she did not have any additional information outside of the letter .

Molina could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

“Our vision for one contract allows our bargaining unit employees to operate as a competitive and flexible team in order to position Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands for further success in the global marketplace,” the letter said.

Combining the two bargaining groups into one will be a challenge because the contracts differ significantly, Molina said in an interview with the Eagle last month.

Both address similar issues, such as retirement, wages, seniority and other work-related items. But the details are “night and day,” he said.

“We believe a new generation of aircraft can be built in Wichita,” the letter said. “Exploring the many options, while working together on identifying the best solutions, provides us with the opportunity to grow and strengthen our business for the future.”

This story was originally published September 10, 2014 at 7:11 PM with the headline "Textron Aviation, Machinists start negotiation process for single contract."