Vance workers, contractor reach agreement - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

Vance workers, contractor reach agreement

ENID, Okla. — A union representing nearly 800 civilian workers and the primary contractor at Vance Air Force Base reached a tentative agreement Saturday on a new contract.

Details of the agreement weren’t immediately released, but Jerry McCune, a spokesman for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 898, said it includes wage and pension increases.

“Strictly speaking, it’s not a bad proposal. It’s not the best, it’s not what we wanted, but we will vote and the members will decide the issue,” said McCune, who is president and directing business representative for District Lodge 171, of which Local 898 is a part.

“The insurance is the gorilla in the room at this point.”

Caroline Longanecker, a spokeswoman for CSC, said if workers agree to the proposal, they could be back at work as early as Tuesday.

“There was a lot of hard work done [Saturday],” Longanecker said. “The guys and gals who did the negotiating were ready and wanted to get an agreement.”

Employees began picketing CSC, and its three subcontractors — PRI/DJI, DenMar and M1 Support Service — June 8 after negotiators reached an impasse on replacing an expiring three-year contract.

The work stoppage brought a halt to flight training at Vance, resulting in the temporary transfer of students and instructor pilots to Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, and Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, earlier this week.

Virginia-based CSC has a contract with the Air Force to provide aircraft maintenance and base operations, which range from information technology support to landscaping and daycare.

“We entered into these negotiations well aware of the impact that this strike was having on our workforce, the men and women of Vance Air Force Base, the community of Enid and the state of Oklahoma,” CSC officials said in a news release. “Both sides negotiated in good faith, and today we are reunited in our mission to serve the men and women of the U.S. Air Force.”

McCune said members will vote from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday on the agreement, and officials will count the ballots shortly thereafter.