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| Workers and IAM representatives outside the Spirit AeroSystems facility in Kinston, NC celebrate their winning vote to join the IAM. |
The IAM racked up a huge organizing win at Spirit AeroSystems in Kinston, NC when 126 Spirit workers voted 2-1 for the IAM. The new facility, where workers build aircraft components for Airbus, could grow to more than 1,000 workers when full production ramps up.
“This is an important win for us. It allows us to build on the partnership with Spirit that the IAM has in the Wichita, KS facility,” said Aerospace Coordinator Ron Eldridge. “We can show other aerospace workers in the South how beneficial an IAM contract is for working families. As a new plant opens and local workers are hired, it’s important that they get thorough and professional training. We plan to negotiate to make sure that Kinston employees get the training they’ll need to make great products.”
“Our inside organizing committee did a great job,” said IAM Grand Lodge Representative Don Barker, who led the effort. “They worked to educate and inform everyone at the facility how important it is to have professional union representation.”
“The IAM is committed to bringing workers in unorganized aerospace companies throughout the South into our union, to raise the wages and benefits for all,” said Southern Territory GVP Bob Martinez. “We are dedicated to good jobs with good pay and benefits right here in the USA, and we fight hard to keep aerospace America’s leading industry.”
“Everyone has the right to join a union, and these workers made the right decision to join the IAM,” said Aerospace Territory GVP Mark Blondin. “There is no better union than the IAM in the aerospace industry, and we look forward to bargaining great benefits and working conditions for these new members of the Southern/Aerospace Territory. Spirit AeroSystems is a very successful and constantly growing aerospace company, and we welcome the opportunity to continue our working relationship with them.
“Congratulations to Aerospace Coordinator Ron Eldridge, GLR Don Barker and the rest of the team who brought these new members into the IAM family,” said Blondin. “These new Spirit members will have a brighter future because of the hard work of the organizing team and their fellow workers.”
