Assembly workers at Textron Inc.’s
Bell Helicopter unit approved a new three-year labor contract
yesterday, the Dallas Morning News reported.
The members of Local 218 of the United Auto Workers ratified
the contract in a 1,176-326 vote, the newspaper said. The workers
planned to strike early this morning if the contract was rejected,
the paper said.
Fort Worth, Texas-based Bell will continue to pay for the
basic health coverage of employees and their families, although co-payments for prescription drugs will increase, the paper said,
citing Gary Livingston, president of the local.
Workers also will receive a $1,700 signing bonus on
June 26 and a 2-percent wage increase beginning in June 2005, the
paper said.
Bloomberg News
