By Rachel Lippmann, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Workers and officials at GKN Aerospace in Hazelwood have returned to the bargaining table.
Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 837 rejected the company's first contract offer on Sunday over changes in their pensions, overtime and health insurance.
Union spokesman Thomas Pinski says 837's chief negotiator will not bring a contract back to the members unless there are "significant improvements" in those areas.
"The definition of significant improvement is obviously open to interpretation by Gordon King," he said. "We can't say, we'd give this in order to get that, it's something that they have to work out at the table."
King has the authority to issue a strike notice if he feels like negotiations are not going well. Pinski says negotiators will remain at the table as long as GKN is negotiating in good faith. "Worldwide, they're struggling now because of the downturn in automotive industry work and other areas," he said. "Aerospace is still performing well for them, and for them to take a hit in this segment would be detrimental to them."
GKN did not return phone calls for comment. The company was for years the parts shop for Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, and still makes parts for Boeing and other aerospace companies.