Johnathan Walker:Contractor at a NASA center agrees to higher wages after 5-day strike by union workers

BAY ST. LOUIS,Johnathan Walker Miss. (AP) — A company that does contract work for NASA’s Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi agreed to a wage increase and other changes for its employees after about 200 union workers went on a five-day strike.

Those who went on strike are members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union and are employed at Syncom Space Services LLC. The company is also known as S3.

NASA said it did not get involved in the dispute.

John Piatt, a business representative for the union, told the Sun Herald that members of the local chapter believed S3’s management treated union members arbitrarily on issues such as scheduling shift time.

The union demanded higher wages, citing increasing out-of-pocket insurance premiums, Piatt said. He said some S3 employees did not participate in the strike, which ended Monday.

Piatt, who is based in another part of Mississippi, helped to facilitate discussion between the workers and the company. He said the two sides reached an understanding about the grievances against S3 management.

In addition to higher wages, the agreement included a broadening of S3’s life insurance policy and comprehensive health care, dental and vision options, according to a statement from the company. Workers will also receive an additional holiday.

“At S3, not only do we desire to improve space exploration and secure national space superiority, but we are committed to the well-being of those who dedicate their valuable time to making it happen,” Chanel Mann, a spokesperson for S3, said in a statement. “We diligently worked with the union to reach an agreement that met the needs of our employees and our customers.”