Alabama Members Ratify Ft. Rucker Contract

May 6, 2008 - A recent training session at the IAM Winpisinger Center that featured realistic bargaining scenarios and mock confrontations paid real-world dividends for the Local 2003 Negotiating Committee, which just concluded a successful round of talks on behalf of more than 3,000 IAM members employed at Army Fleet Support in Ft. Rucker, AL.

Led by District 75 Business Representative Tony Blevins, the 11-member bargaining committee negotiated an agreement that was overwhelmingly ratified by the IAM membership working at the base, whose work ranges from janitors to test pilots. “The IAM members at Ft. Rucker are extremely proud of their safety record, with nine million flight hours of accident-free operation,” noted Blevins.

The accord includes pay raises of four percent in each of the three years of the contract and a 28 percent increase in company contributions to the IAM Pension Plan. “Our committee put the training from the Winpisinger Center to good use,” said Aerospace Coordinator Frank Santos. “This was tough bargaining, and the committee handled it skillfully and landed a good contract.”

“The contract at Ft. Rucker is one of the largest Service Contract Act labor agreements in the United States,” said Southern Territory GVP Bob Martinez. “Congratulations to Local 2003 and the entire negotiating team. They secured an industry-leading contract that is worthy of the men and women they represent.”