Local 733 members in Wichita, KS ratified a new agreement with Hawker Beechcraft by a 69 percent margin. The five-year contract protects jobs and preserves the defined-benefit pension plan for current and future employees. The contract also includes a new partnership agreement and guarantees job classifications will remain in Wichita, while providing training for workers
Read moreIAM Local 733 Bargaining Committee: Front Row, L to R: Chief of Staff to the International President Diane Babineaux, District 70 Directing Business Representative Steve Rooney, Aerospace Coordinator Ron Eldridge, Southern Territory General Vice President Bob Martinez, International President Tom Buffenbarger, Headquarters General Vice President Richard Michalski, District 70 Assistant Directing Business Representative Rita Rogers,
Read moreKicking off the negotiations for 2,600 IAM members at Hawker Beechcraft, IAM President Tom Buffenbarger and Hawker Beechcraft CEO Bill Boisture voiced similar concerns about the state of the general aviation industry. Opening remarks by IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger and Hawker Beechcraft CEO Bill Boisture set the tone and established the priorities for the
Read moreIn a joint letter to President Obama, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) expressed deep concern over recent comments by the President questioning the value of corporate aircraft use and proposing tax changes that would negatively impact the entire general aviation industry. The letter emphasized
Read moreIAM General Vice President Rich Michalski was instrumental in the effort to keep Hawker Beechcraft from moving operations from Wichita, KS, to Baton Rouge, LA. Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) workers in Wichita, KS, dodged a hail of bullets this week thanks to the outcome of discussions between Hawker Beechcraft CEO Bill Boisture, Kansas Democratic Governor
Read more