A Textron Aviation worker was arrested by Wichita police Wednesday morning while striking with coworkers, according to police and the union representing the aviation workers.
The woman was arrested at Textron’s site in east Wichita after “she was warned by officers on two separate occasions not to block or impede the roadway and to take very small steps while crossing,” Wichita police spokesperson Andrew Ford said in an email.
The offense listed on the police report was “miscellaneous offenses/other.” The incident at 300 N. Webb Road was reported at 7 a.m.
IAM District 70 president Lisa Whitley said she didn’t believe the woman should be arrested. She did not see the arrest but based that on what other workers told her.
“They must of arrested her for something. … We want to follow the rules,” she said.
Textron, which makes Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker planes and jets, is one of the largest employers in Wichita.
Workers are now on their 10th day of striking. The union represents roughly 5,000 workers.
‘I’d like to get back to work’: Strike at Textron nears end of first week
Other large strikes are going on nationwide.
Boeing, another aviation company, has roughly 33,000 workers on strike; roughly 47,000 workers at International Longshoremen’s Association, who handle cargo at dozens of ports around the country, are also on strike, according to media reports.
Contributing: Chance Swaim with The Eagle
