Solidarity made the difference: IAM members at Cessna Aircraft gained better contract terms after their big rally in Wichita, KS that showed they were determined to win a fair agreement.

Member Action Wins Big at Cessna
Constant communication, community support and a massive march through downtown Wichita, KS combined to win a new contract for 4,300 IAM members at the Cessna Aircraft Company. The road to victory, however, was paved with challenges.

The Machinists at Cessna, who assemble the company’s line of single and multi-engine aircraft, spent the last three years fighting layoffs, outsourcing and other tactics of an industry struggling to pull out of an economic tailspin.

As the old agreement with Cessna approached its expiration date, negotiators were deadlocked. The terms offered by Cessna were unacceptable. A strike loomed on the horizon.

Communication Works
“Using websites, newsletters and shop-floor flyers, District 70 and Local 774 kept their members at Cessna fully informed,” said IAM Aerospace Coordinator Ron Eldridge. Web logs and daily contract updates by local web stewards highlighted the growing importance of the Internet in contract negotiations.

With less than a week to go, the members of Local 774 and Wichita’s labor community put more than 1,700 people on the street for a rally that clearly demonstrated the membership’s unity and community support.

“The company blinked,” said one member of the IAM negotiating team. Within hours of the rally, Cessna made a new offer with substantial improvements in key economic areas: pension increases, a choice of healthcare plans and a wage hike of 10 percent over the life of the three-year contract.

Fighting Machinists
Combined with an added $2,500 signing bonus, the new offer was worth substantially more than the proposal it replaced. Members voted by a strong 80 percent margin to accept the new accord.

“The solidarity, determination and creativity of our members at Cessna will stand as an example for years to come,” said IAM President Tom Buffenbarger. “They earned the right to be called ‘Fighting Machinists.’”