More than 600 workers at GE Aerospace sites in Erlanger, Kentucky, and Evendale, Ohio, are on strike, according to the union representing them.
The contract the UAW Local 647 members had with GE expired at midnight Wednesday. The company and the union had been locked in negotiations over a new contract.
The union says 84% of its members voted to authorize the strike last week.
"Our members aren’t asking to be millionaires," UAW Local 647 President Brad Strunk said in a statement. “We are simply demanding things that every worker deserves: decent health care and a secure future. We are going to stand together as a united membership until we win what we are owed.”
At a rally last week, Strunk said workers especially objected to a proposed boost in health care costs of almost 40%. Union members held rallies outside the company's Erlanger and Evendale plants and at Cincinnati's Hard Rock Casino Tuesday, where UAW President Shawn Fain spoke.
A spokesperson for GE Aerospace said in a statement the company stood by its negotiating efforts. The company says it offered pay increases of 12% over three years, cash payments amounting to $2,500, and a potential increase of 80 unionized positions at the two facilities.
“We are proud of our last offer we tabled for our 640 UAW-represented employees and are disappointed the Detroit-based UAW leaders have decided to strike before our employees have an opportunity to vote," the statement reads. "We remain focused on serving our customers and have activated a detailed contingency plan, deploying experienced and qualified GE Aerospace employees to ensure continued operations with the highest levels of safety and quality.”
Workers at GE Aerospace Erlanger do tasks related to distribution of aerospace components produced by the company. Workers at the Evendale facility perform a variety of tasks, including manufacturing aerospace, marine and industrial engines.
This article may be updated.
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