(Reuters) -Members of the United Auto Workers union at GE Aerospace’s Evendale, Ohio, plant will strike from Thursday after failing to reach a new contract, UAW President Shawn Fain said in a video broadcast late on Wednesday.
The plant builds marine and industrial engines for the U.S. Navy.
The walkout also extends to a GE distribution facility in Erlanger, Kentucky, that supplies parts to several of the company’s engine plants.
The strike marks the latest flashpoint in a wave of labor unrest sweeping through aerospace and aviation industries, where unions have been flexing their muscles to secure new contracts amid high demand for skilled workers.
From airline pilots and flight attendants to machinists and aerospace engineers, workers across the sector have pressed for higher pay and stronger job protections in the last couple of years.
The union’s local chapter represents over 600 workers across two of GE Aerospace’s sites. Union members had voted by a majority in favor of a strike if a new agreement is not reached by the end of day on August 27.
GE Aerospace did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside regular business hours.
(Reporting by Shivansh Tiwary in Bengaluru and Additional reporting by Harshita Meenaktshi; Editing by Maju Samuel)
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