IAM District 70 Members in Wichita Vote to Pursue Coverage Under IAM-Boeing Master Agreement

WICHITA, Kan., Sept. 15, 2026 - Following Boeing's reacquisition of Spirit AeroSystems, IAM Union Local 839 (IAM District 70) members voted Sept. 12, 2026 to pursue coverage under the IAM Union/Boeing Master Agreement as opposed to renegotiating the existing Spirit AeroSystems independent contract with Boeing, in January.

The vote was held to determine how IAM-represented workers in Wichita wish to proceed with their collective bargaining agreement as the two companies become one, again.

Spirit AeroSystems was part of Boeing until it was spun off in 2005. Before the spin-off, the Wichita location was covered under the IAM/Boeing Master Agreement alongside IAM-represented Boeing workers in the Pacific Northwest. After the spin-off, IAM members negotiated an independent contract between IAM District 70 and Spirit Aerosystems. Boeing reacquired Spirit in December 2025.

Today, more than 30,000 IAM-represented Boeing workers in Washington state, California, and Oregon are covered under the IAM/Boeing Master Agreement through IAM District 751 and District W24.

IAM District 70, District 751, District W24 and IAM Union leadership believe Wichita members have a right to pursue coverage under that Master Agreement. At the same time, IAM leadership believes the decision about the best path forward belongs to the membership.

"We have one goal in this process: to make sure our members have the information and the power to determine their own future," said IAM District 70 Directing Business Representative Lisa Whitley. "This vote gave IAM Local 839 members the opportunity to make that decision. They chose to pursue their entitlement to the IAM's Master Agreement with Boeing, and the full strength and resources of the IAM Union stand behind them."

IAM representatives have conducted 10 town hall meetings to answer members' questions and explain the differences between the current IAM District 70/Spirit agreement and the IAM District 751 and District W24/Boeing Master Agreement.

The current Spirit agreement expires in June 2027, and negotiations were scheduled to begin in January 2027. Now, the IAM will seek for IAM District 70 (Local 839) members to be included in the existing Master Agreement the union has with Boeing. Boeing has indicated that it does not consider District 70 to be part of the Master Agreement between IAM Union Districts 751 and W24 and Boeing, despite the IAM's position that specific language in the collective bargaining agreement supports Wichita workers' claim to inclusion.

With the results of this vote, if the company refuses, the union will proceed through the grievance process and possibly to binding arbitration.

An arbitration could take from six months to two years. If a decision is not reached before the current Spirit agreement expires, the IAM Union will engage with Boeing to protect the membership until it is resolved.