IUE-CWA Members Kick Off GE Aerospace Contract Campaign

 
IUE-CWA members demonstrate outside an aerospace industry convention in Fort Worth, Texas.

IUE-CWA members from GE Aerospace plants across the country converged in Dallas this week to deliver a message to the aerospace industry: Invest in skilled workers over stock buybacks.

Carrying banners declaring, “Don’t Let GE Crash Like Boeing: Stop Stock Buybacks—Invest in Skilled Workers,” IUE-CWA members distributed their open letter to industry leaders at the 2025 Aero-Engines Conference, warning of the risks of prioritizing Wall Street over critical workforce investments.

Boeing’s recent troubles—including a strike by 33,000 machinists last fall—have drawn intense scrutiny to the aerospace industry’s treatment of its union-represented workforce. Now, as GE Aerospace heads toward national contract negotiations, IUE-CWA workers warn that failure to invest in skilled labor could jeopardize GE’s reputation, product quality, and on-time delivery, mirroring Boeing’s past missteps.

“We don’t want GE making the same mistakes Boeing did. This is a chance for GE to step up, bargain in good faith, and prioritize people, product, and real engineering over financial engineering,” said Jerry Carney, IUE-CWA GE Conference Chair. “For decades, the aviation industry has chipped away at wages and benefits, which leads to low morale and makes it hard to attract new recruits. A new social contract that respects aviation workers is essential to keep our nation flying safely and on time.”

Representing more than 2,000 GE Aerospace employees across four states, IUE-CWA members are responsible for building, testing, repairing, and improving the advanced engines powering commercial and military aviation. Members of IUE-CWA Locals 81201, 83701, and 86004 traveled to deliver their message to industry leaders, and were supported in their demonstration by members of CWA Local 6201 from Fort Worth and IUE-CWA Local 86787 from Dallas, Texas.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.