The six-week long production strike at the Kansas City Plant did not impact the plant’s ability to deliver product for the National Nuclear Security Administration, and contractor Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies did not have to dip into the reserve of non-nuclear weapons parts it has stockpiled for its move to a new facility over the next four years. Honeywell spokeswoman Linda Cook said the plant made 1,110 shipments during the six-week strike, which is roughly on par with the plant’s average of 920 deliverables a month. Engineers at the plant that were not part of the 860 International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 778 that walked off the job Oct. 9 filled in for the production workers during the strike, which ended Sunday when the union accepted a contract offer. “We were prepared. We had a plan,” Honeywell FM&T President Chris Gentile told NW&M Monitor. “The fact is we had a plan for a number of months and we committed to NNSA and others that we will not miss a delivery. Subsequent to the strike we really went into high gear to put in a plan that we would never miss a shipment ever.”
Union production workers began returning to the plant this week for orientation sessions, and Gentile acknowledged it would be a challenge to recover from the sometimes-hostile labor dispute. “I’ve gone into every one of the [orientation meetings] and kicked them off and said we’re happy to have them back,” Gentile said, adding: “We’re thrilled the workers are back in here. It’s my job and I’m accountable to pull this business back together and continue to deliver seamlessly for NNSA.”
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