(Reuters) – Spirit AeroSystems has presented a new contract offer to union workers at its plant in Wichita, Kansas, after what the Boeing and Airbus supplier said were “positive discussions” aimed at ending a strike.
Union workers at the Wichita site, which builds the entire fuselage for Boeing’s 737 MAX narrowbody jet and the forward sections for most of its other aircraft, as well as pylons for the Airbus A220, on June 21 rejected a proposed four-year contract and voted to strike.
Spirit AeroSystems announced on Thursday that it would shut down operations at the site.
Spirit declined to answer questions about its revised offer but confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that it had delivered it “following days of positive discussions” with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) union.
“We remain committed to reaching a timely and fair resolution on a labor agreement for our IAM-represented employees,” it said.
The IAM union will hold a meeting on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. local time to discuss the new proposal, IAM said on the Facebook page for its local unit in Wichita.
The meeting will only be attended by union stewards, Spirit employees that represent the union.
The company and union restarted negotiations on Saturday, and Spirit CEO Tom Gentile said in a statement on Monday that the parties were “making good progress.”
(Reporting by Valerie Insinna; Editing by Conor Humphries)
