Twelve workers at Flight Safety Services Corporation — a company that works on the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus at Pease Air National Guard Base in Portsmouth, New Hampshire — have formed a union and affiliated with the International Association of Machinist (IAM) District Lodge 4. These employees provide critical safety services, including fixing flight simulators that train air crews and simulators that teach workers how to load and fuel airplanes. The Boeing KC-46 Pegasus is a military aerial refueling and strategic military transport aircraft.
“Many of these workers had previously been unionized while working on the Boeing KC-135 simulator program in the same facility. But when they were hired to work on the new KC-46 simulator program, it was a non-union shop and they were paid half as much for a much heavier workload and more responsibilities,” explained George Edwards of IAM District Lodge 4. “By forming a union, these workers will have the collective strength to win fair wages for the valuable work they perform. The evidence is clear, if you want better pay, benefits and working conditions, forming a union is the most effective way to make it happen.”
The Flight Safety workers will soon begin forming a bargaining committee to negotiate a contract with the company.The Machinists represents workers in the public and private sector throughout Maine and New Hampshire.