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Sheriff’s office asks non-employees to avoid Spirit AeroSystems strike areas

Striking aerospace workers picket outside of the Spirit AeroSystems factory on Saturday morning. Members of the machinist union voted down a proposed contract from Spirit earlier this week and voted to strike. The the strike began at midnight Saturday morning.
Striking aerospace workers picket outside of the Spirit AeroSystems factory on Saturday morning. Members of the machinist union voted down a proposed contract from Spirit earlier this week and voted to strike. The the strike began at midnight Saturday morning. The Wichita Eagle

The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is asking those who are not employees of Spirit AeroSystems to avoid certain sections of town as employees are amid an ongoing strike by Machinists.

The areas to avoid are Oliver from 31st Street South to 47th Street South and K-15 from 31st Street South to 47th Street South, the media release reads.

The Sheriff’s Office is asking people to avoid the areas starting Monday, June 26. However, the areas could be blocked longer according to the strike’s duration.

Members of the local Machinists union were picketing on Saturday at the beginning of their strike. The strike was authorized following a vote on Wednesday where union members rejected a new four-year contract.

Almost 80% of union voters rejected the contract, while 85% voted to authorize a strike.

Wages, forced overtime and health care were among listed concerns union members had with the proposed Spirit contract.

This story was originally published June 25, 2023 at 4:31 PM.

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Casey Loving
The Wichita Eagle
Casey Loving is a summer intern for The Eagle. Loving grew up in Wichita and attends Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. There, he serves as an editor for the school paper while pursuing a major in communication studies and minors in mathematics, computer science and film.
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