GE union workers begin rallies for contract - Daily Item Article 4/18/25

The following article was written by Isaac Green, reporter for the Daily Item, published April 18, 2025. Posted here in case you do not have access to the Daily Item.

GE union workers begin rallies for contract

Union members with IUE-CWA Local 201 rally at the GE Aviation plant in Lynn on April 17 as part of a series of actions leading up to national contract negotiations. The union is calling for stronger retirement protections, cost-of-living adjustments, and long-term investment in the facility. (Julia Hopkins) 

LYNN — With their national contract set to expire in late June, unionized GE workers in Lynn are stepping up organizing efforts around key bargaining priorities, including retirement security, cost-of-living adjustments, and long-term investment in the plant’s future.

On Thursday, IUE-CWA Local 201 held a series of coordinated, shift-based rallies at the GE Aviation facility on Western Avenue. The actions, held during workers’ breaks, culminated in a march to the administrative building. According to Local 201 President Adam Kaszynski, the demonstrations aimed to send a clear message to GE: union members are unified in their push for “a dignified retirement for all.”

“We represent three distinct groups of GE workers when it comes to retirement — those already retired, those about to retire, and those still working,” Kaszynski said in an interview. “Half of the current workforce in Lynn has a pension. The other half does not, and it’s critical that those folks have a real path toward retirement security.”

GE eliminated pensions for new hires in 2012, a decision Kaszynski called emblematic of a broader corporate trend to reduce long-term liabilities at the expense of workers. “401(k)s were never designed for regular working people — they were designed for CEOs,” he said. “Now we’re relying on these market-based accounts while defined-benefit pensions are vanishing. That’s unacceptable.”

The April 17 rally follows a similar union action in March focused on restoring cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), another major issue members identified in a detailed contract survey conducted by the union. Both issues — retirement and COLAs — emerged as top priorities as the union prepares for the start of national bargaining with GE.

Local 201, based in Lynn, represents approximately 1,100 GE workers at the Lynn plant. The national contract, which will be negotiated jointly by GE and IUE-CWA, covers around 2,500 unionized GE workers across four sites: Lynn, Massachusetts; Schenectady, New York; Madisonville, Kentucky; and Strothers, Kansas. The contract governs wages, health insurance, retirement benefits, and other core employment conditions.

Kaszynski said the union’s strategy includes building momentum through visible, frequent engagement, hence the decision to hold rallies across all shifts. “It’s still America — you don’t have freedom of assembly at work unless you have a union that’s bargained for it,” he said. “We organize break-time rallies to make sure everyone can participate.”

The union is now preparing for a major May Day mobilization that will include two parts: a “practice picket” from 2 to 4 p.m. on May 1 outside the GE gates at 1000 Western Ave, and a community march starting at 5:30 p.m. on Lynn Common. Union leaders, members from other labor locals, and national-level negotiators are expected to attend.

“The practice picket is about readiness,” Kaszynski said. “We’d love for GE to offer a great contract and for us to go home happy — but reality and history show that you have to be prepared to fight for what’s right.”

Retirees have also joined the push, working through the Local 201 Retirees Council to assist former GE workers still fighting to access benefits. Kaszynski said many retirees are struggling under outdated benefit formulas and a fractured support system.

“Imagine retiring in 1989 and still being stuck with that 1989 pension,” he said. “GE hasn’t given any cost-of-living adjustments to retirees in over a decade, and they’ve outsourced benefits to call centers where no one knows the contracts. It’s shameful.”

The union is also calling on GE to commit to future investment in the Lynn plant, which has seen a dramatic reduction in workforce size since the 1980s. “We’ve gone from 8,000 or 9,000 workers back then to about 2,500 across the four sites today,” Kaszynski said. “We want GE to stay in Lynn for another hundred years — but that means bringing in new work and keeping these good union jobs.”

In response to a request for comment, GE Aerospace provided the following statement:

“GE Aerospace has been part of the Lynn community for more than a century, with a long history of working constructively with the unions that represent our employees. We look forward to bargaining in good faith this summer.” — GE Aerospace spokesperson

Local 201’s position is that strong wages, retirement protections, and secure benefits don’t just help union members—they ripple out into the local economy.

“Making sure these jobs stay good jobs is critical — not just for GE workers, but for the entire Lynn community,” Kaszynski said. “And on May 1, we’ll be showing up together to demand exactly that.”

May Day Events:

Practice Picket: 2–4 p.m., Wednesday, May 1, at GE plant gates, 1000 Western Ave.
Community March: 5:30 p.m., departing from Lynn Common and marching to GE.

The public is invited to attend and show support.

https://itemlive.com/2025/04/18/ge-union-workers-begin-rallies-for-contract/