Workers say Spirit President and CEO Tom Gentile attended the closed-door meeting at the Machinists Union Hall. Many workers at that meeting say they did not expect to see Gentile there.
With layoffs beginning at Spirit AeroSystems, one of the chief concerns from Wichita's machinists union is that some of the company's more experience workers could leave the area.
While the move wasn't unexpected, the president of the machinists union in Wichita says the official start to layoffs at Spirit AeroSystems Thursday was a development he was hoping wouldn't happen.
The State of Kansas, City of Wichita, several local and state agencies, and federal lawmakers will meet at the Workforce Alliance Center on Wednesday afternoon.
Union members of local lodge 839 Tuesday began taking a vote on whether to allow union negotiators to talk to Spirit AeroSystems about a contract extension.
Spirit AeroSystems announced its plan to lay off 2,800 employees due to the temporary suspension of the Boeing 737 last week, but workers say they don't who will keep their jobs.
Some Spirit AeroSystems employees who spoke with Eyewitness News Friday say they're already putting in applications for other jobs, preparing for the worst after the company announced its plans to lay off 2,800 employees at its Wichita facility.