NAS Whidbey Machinists Ratify First Union Contract
June 17, 2014
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Roughly two dozen IAM members who work for Doss Aviation at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Oak Harbor, WA ratified their first contract after voting to join IAM District 751 in December 2013. |
Machinists Union members who work for Doss Aviation at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Oak Harbor, WA will get wage and pension benefit increases after ratifying their first union contract.
The Machinists at Doss approved the three-year agreement with an 88 percent yes vote.
The contract covers roughly two dozen Doss employees who work as military aircraft refueling specialists at NAS Whidbey. The workers voted in December 2013 to join IAM District 751 in Seattle.
Under their new collective bargaining agreement, the Doss-Whidbey workers will get:
- Immediate 3 percent wage increases, with additional 2 percent raises coming on January 1 of 2015, 2016 and 2017, which will push wages up 9 percent over the life of the agreement;
- Additional pay for workers on second and third shifts, plus additional pay for those who work as trainers or when handling hazardous waste, plus up to $100 a year for all workers for safety shoes;
- Increasing company contributions to the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers’ National Pension Plan, which covers the workers’ retirements;
- Increased company spending on a health and welfare benefit, with the option for union members to roll unused health and benefit dollars into a company-sponsored 401(k) retirement account;
- An agreement with the company to change four part-time workers to full-time workers; and
- Rules granting a standard 8-hour work day, with specified rest periods before the start of their next shift, plus an agreement by management to provide work schedules two weeks in advance, to help workers plan their lives.
“We were able to win improvements for the workers in terms of pay and benefits,” said Jon Holden, IAM District 751 President. “Plus now that they have a union contract, they have the advantage of a grievance procedure that will ensure they’re treated fairly on the job. These highly-skilled workers play an essential role in protecting America, and we’re proud to have them as part of our union.”
The Doss-Whidbey workers are the third group of NAS Whidbey contractors to join District 751 since 2010, joining workers at Delaware Resources Group and L-3 Communications. In all, District 751 now represents nearly 700 civilian employees at NAS Whidbey, Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Fairchild Air Force Base.
“We congratulate Doss Machinists on achieving their first union contract and are proud of their courage to stand up for their beliefs,” said IAM Western Territory General Vice President Gary Allen. “Congratulations to the District 751 team on their hard work to provide a better standard of living for our Brothers and Sisters.”
