GRANDVIEW, Mo. -- Nearly 900 union employees at Kansas City's Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technologies plant have a new labor deal. Leaders say the deal was possible at least partly because of a 40-day strike from workers six years ago.
Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 778 ratified the contract Sunday night. According to Directing Business Representative Joe Capra, the deal includes higher pay, better pensions, more vacation days, short-term disability paid by Honeywell and shorter probationary periods for new hires.
“I am proud of what we accomplished with this agreement and the unprecedented show of support and solidarity from the membership,” Capra said in a statement.
Throughout these negotiations, union members did not go on strike. During the last round of contract negotiations in 2011, union members lined the Bannister Federal Complex with signs during a strike that lasted more than 40 days. Union leaders said the 2011 strike set the table for successful negotiations this time.
"These negotiations took on an entirely different tone than negotiations of the past. And that’s thanks to the members who stood out on the strike line in 2011. Their courage and solidarity back then is what made the difference today," said Business Representative Leo Berroteran.
Honeywell runs part of the US Department of Energy's nuclear security program at its Grandview location.
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