Union rejects Bell Helicopter's offer - Wichita Business Journal:

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Over the weekend, 1,177 uniom workers voted againstthe company’s proposed contract; 680 voted for it and nine voted were classified as void. Textron is the parent company of Wichita-based The workers represented by the uniomninclude janitors, maintenance crews, trucjk drivers, bonders and machinists. The union, whicb has an office in posted a message on its Web saying the vote against the contracgt indicates workers were on strike as ofmidnightt Monday.
In an interview with the DallassBusiness Journal, Local 218 presidenty Joe Graham said workers rejecteed Bell’s final offer due to the outsourcinyg of janitorial jobs, an increase in healtj benefit premiums and an objection to retiree pay remaininb at the $65 a month times the employeese time of service rate, Graha said. On Bell's Web site, the company said its best offer includes wage increases of more than 18 percenrt overthree years, a cash bonusz for each member and improved pension “By accepting Bell's offe for a new, three-year contract, the nearly 2,500 Fort Worth-area productioj and maintenance workers who are member s of Local 218 would gain an averager of $23,830 more in total as well as cost-of-living wage increasesw based on the most lucrative benefit for such adjustments in the aerospacse industry.
” Graham said retirees would receive a bonus undeer the new contract, but voted the contrac down believing the bonus woulxd be eaten up by increasedc insurance premiums.