GE Aerospace says it and the United Auto Workers (UAW) “remain far apart” in contract talks as a strike affecting two sites near Cincinnati enters a second week.
More than 600 UAW members walked off the job on 28 August after union leaders rejected GE’s proposed contract terms.
“Based on our recent communications with UAW leadership, we remain far apart, and we do not feel they are engaging in good faith,” GE said in a 4 September website update.
The striking employees work at GE’s Evendale site in Ohio and Erlanger facility in Kentucky near Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky International airport. The Evendale location performs work related to “aeroderivative” engines used for marine and industrial applications, while the Erlanger site ships new and spare aircraft engine parts.
“Our facilities in Erlanger and Evendale are operational, and we are operating at normal productivity levels,” GE says.
But on 4 September, UAW president Shawn Fain insisted the walkout is taking a toll on GE’s aircraft engine business.
“Half of GE Aerospace’s business is servicing engines they’ve already sold,” Fain told CNBC. “The Erlanger facility… is the single point of failure in shipping all these critical parts… What GE is doing is financially reckless, not to stop this strike.”
On 3 September, the union said its bargaining committee “reached out twice today to the company to return to the table. So far, they have not responded”.
Prior to the strike, GE presented to union leaders what the company still calls its “best offer”. The union’s bargaining leaders rejected that deal without putting it to a membership vote.
“We are disappointed that Detroit-based UAW leadership chose to strike before giving employees the opportunity to vote. We believe our people deserve a voice in their future,” GE’s says on its website.
The UAW has taken particular issue with provisions in GE’s offer that would increase workers’ healthcare premiums 18%.
GE says that equates to a $2,300 increase over three years for a family health care plan – but that workers would receive $29,000 in additional compensation during the same period under the deal.
That gain reflects GE’s offer to give workers a 12% general pay raise, to reinstate a cost-of-living adjustment formula and to make “accelerated cash payments”, the company says.
“We are proud of this offer, which includes terms that are competitive and reflect our deep respect for the work our UAW-represented employees do every day,” GE says.
UAW president Fain defends union leaders’ decision to reject GE’s offer, saying the call was made by local union leaders who were elected by members to handle contract negotiations.
The UAW’s 640-strong GE employee group represents only about 1% of the 53,000 workers GE employed at the end of 2025.
GE in the last two months reached new contracts with two unions: the International Association of Machinists in Cincinnati, which represents 550 workers, and the IUE-CWA, which represents about 2,200 employees in Kansas, Kentucky, New York and Massachusetts.
