Local 933 members at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, AZ approved a tentative agreement, ending a 10-week strike against the aerospace-industry giant. The new agreement was hammered out with the help of a federal mediator during a marathon 18-hour negotiating session that began Friday and lasted until early Saturday morning. The talks were the first held since the walkout began on November 5, 2006.
“The Brothers and Sisters of Local 933 can be proud. They held the line and didn’t back down,” said IP Tom Buffenbarger, who walked the picket line with Local 933 members last week.
Raytheon workers won a three percent raise each year of the new three-year pact, lower caps on medical cost increases than Raytheon originally proposed and an increased lump-sum payment of $1,000 to offset medical plan costs.
“Raytheon is making record profits, but they wanted Local 933 members to pay far more than their fair share. These members stood up for what’s right on behalf of aerospace workers in all of North America,” said Western Territory GVP Lee Pearson.
“Our members at Raytheon were prepared and they held strong. They deserve a lot of credit for standing up to a multi-billion dollar company’s unreasonable demands,” said IAM Aerospace Coordinator Ron Eldridge.
“I am extremely proud of our members and what they have accomplished,” said Local 933 Directing Business Representative Bobby Martinez. “They spent countless hours preparing for these negotiations and did everything that was asked of them, and more. Thank you to all of our members, their families and this community for their support and strength during this battle.”