Union workers reach contract deal with Boeing parts supplier, ending weeklong strike

June 30 (UPI) -- Union workers for a major aircraft parts supplier have reached a labor deal with Boeing that will end a nearly weeklong walkout at a production facility in Wichita, Kansas.

Thousands of union employees at Spirit Aerosystems, which builds fuselages and other parts for Boeing's 737 Max planes, voted Thursday to accept a new four-year contract for improved pay and benefits.

Details of the contract were not released.

About 6,000 employees plan to be back on the job next Wednesday after a long holiday weekend, according to a statement from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

Union leaders said they were pleased with the preliminary deal reached on June 27, which was approved by 63% of workers in a Thursday ballot.

"This agreement addresses our members' concerns with substantial wage increases, maintaining the CORE healthcare plan benefits that the membership insisted on, and includes no mandatory overtime," the union said.

A federal mediator was brought in to assist negotiations that became deadlocked after workers rejected a previous offer that failed to provide higher wages, prescription drug coverage, and restrictions on overtime.

"We knew these negotiations were not going to be your typical set of talks," said IAM Local 839 Chief Negotiator Jason Baze. "Our membership clearly said the original offer was unacceptable by rejecting it soundly. The committee returned to the table to address their concerns."

Boeing, meanwhile, said it was closely monitoring production and other concerns as work had been frozen since employees walked off the job last Saturday, with five days remaining before operations would be back to normal.

"We continue to monitor the situation as we assess any potential impacts to production and deliveries," said an internal memo from Stan Deal, CEO of Boeing's commercial airplane unit.

At the time of the strike, Boeing had been ramping up production, resulting in surplus inventory that was now sitting idle at the Kansas plant.