Spirit AeroSystems extends furloughs for 900 workers on 737 program
Spirit AeroSystems employees on a furlough that was meant to end in early July will now remain unemployed through mid-August.
Around 900 hourly workers in Wichita directly associated with production work and support functions for the 737 program began on June 15 what was meant to be a three-week furlough. That furlough, or temporary layoff, will now be extended through Aug. 14, according to a Spirit spokesperson.
The employees will continue to receive health care benefits and pension contributions throughout the furlough period.
“To address the ongoing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and the continued grounding of the 737 MAX, Spirit AeroSystems and the Wichita IAM have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for an extension of the current temporary layoff,” the spokesperson told the Eagle in an email.
The union worked with Spirit officials in an attempt to make the furloughs easier on the employees, said Scott Gardner, communications representative for IAMAW District Lodge 70. Taking one long furlough period is potentially better for workers rather than waiting to see if there would be a second furlough in the future, and having to re-apply for unemployment benefits, he said.
The furlough extension isn’t meant to completely prevent layoffs, but is intended to reduce the number of permanent layoffs, according to the agreement.
The furloughs were implemented in response to Boeing’s directive to Spirit to stop producing 737 Max ship sets, Spirit officials said previously. The temporary unemployment period was expected to end on July 6, lasting a total of 21 days.
Spirit is the largest employer in Wichita, according to the Greater Wichita Partnership. The company employs around 13,000 people full-time in the area.
Earlier this month, Spirit announced that it’s getting $80 million from the Department of Defense, allowing the company to expand advanced tooling, composite manufacturing and metal fabrication to support defense projects. It offered a measure of stability for Spirit during a difficult time, company officials said.
This story was originally published June 25, 2020 at 3:35 PM.
