The union representing some 825 workers at Bombardier’s Learjet plant in Wichita called a strike after contract negotiations failed to reach an agreement with the company on a new deal.
The current contract, which was negotiated in 2009, expired on Saturday, and workers are not satisfied with the new proposal. It calls for no raises this year, and 1 percent raises for the remaining four years of the five-year contract. Pension plans would be retained, but workers would pay more for health care coverage – the main sticking point in the negotiations.
