Wichita Machinists union sanctions strike option ahead of Spirit contract renegotiation

Spirit AeroSystems machinists will have the option to go on strike if they can’t reach a renegotiated contract with the Wichita manufacturing giant this spring.

International Association of Machinists lodge members gathered Wednesday at Hartman Arena, where they overwhelmingly voted in favor of a strike sanction.

“Spirit understands that the strike sanction vote is part of the IAM’s internal process. This vote does not mean a strike will occur,” Spirit said in a statement ahead of the vote. “We are committed to open-and-honest discussions with the goal of a fair, competitive contract for our employees and the company to position us for success over the long term.”

Spirit is the city’s largest employer, and machinists, who make up the vast majority of the company’s Wichita workforce, have had the same contract for 13 years.

A representative for the Machinists union did not immediately respond to a request to comment on what terms in the contract they would like to see changed.

Contract negotiations are set to begin on May 1.

This story was originally published March 30, 2023 at 10:35 AM.