September 27, 2008 - Nearly 1,000 Machinists began a strike at Vought Aircraft Industries in Nashville, TN, after voting by a large margin to reject an offer from the company that would have frozen the existing pension plan for employees with less than 16 years seniority and replace it with a risky 401(k) plan.
IAM members of Local 735 in Nashville, TN, assemble wing and tail structures for commercial and military aircraft customers, including Airbus, Gulfstream, Cessna and Lockheed Martin.
Additional demands in the proposal that triggered the strike included minimal wage increases, increased out-of-pocket health care costs for employees and work rules that ignored basic seniority principles.
Like Hawker Beechcraft in Wichita, KS, where Machinists union members recently concluded a successful strike, Vought is a highly successful aerospace company, with numerous contracts to fill and additional work on the way.
Despite Tennessee’s status as a right-to-work (for less) state, the bargaining unit at Vought is keenly aware of the value of full membership, with more than 90 percent taking full advantage of their collective bargaining rights.
Additional information about the strike is available at www.iam735.blogspot.com
