Overtime dispute brings strike to Safran Seats in Gainesville

Teamsters members at Safran Seats in Gainesville had walked off the job by Sept. 24, 2026, over required overtime and compensation, according to the union’s announcement. The dispute concerns employees who manufacture airplane seats, a workforce that includes more than 350 union members, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said. Teamsters announcement

Members voted down the company’s proposed contract on Sept. 18 because it would require overtime, according to the Teamsters. Local 767 then resumed bargaining, seeking to remove that requirement from an agreement.

An employee with two decades at Safran described additional pay concerns in the union’s announcement. Along with opposing compulsory overtime, the employee sought restoration of holiday pay and wage improvements that would reach employees already earning the highest rates on their pay scales. Union statement

An earlier Safran contract published by Local 767 shows how overtime assignments and holiday compensation were previously addressed. Its assignment procedure gave qualified employees the opportunity to volunteer for overtime before other steps. It also barred compulsory overtime for employees on specified schedules. These provisions come from the earlier agreement, rather than the offer members rejected. Published contract

| Issue | Earlier contract provision |

| --- | --- |

| Schedules protected from mandatory overtime | Three 12-hour days or four 10-hour days |

| Weekly overtime compensation | Pay at 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours |

| Holiday compensation | Eligible employees received regular pay for unworked holidays, plus an additional 1.5 times the regular rate for hours worked on an observed holiday |

The Teamsters called the walkout an unfair labor practice strike. That is the union’s characterization, not a determination established by the National Labor Relations Board’s general guidance.

The board explains that unfair labor practice strikers generally have protection against permanent replacement and a right to return when the strike ends, unless they engaged in serious misconduct. Economic strikers can be permanently replaced. NLRB guidance

Overtime was also addressed in a separate North Texas aerospace contract this summer. IAM reported that its members at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth approved an agreement in June that prohibited mandatory overtime and expanded vacation. It also included wage increases and a ratification bonus. IAM announcement

Before the Gainesville strike, Safran reported higher adjusted recurring operating income for its Aircraft Interiors division during the first half of the year. Those results covered the division across the company. In its July financial report, Safran attributed the improvement to aftermarket business and better pricing in Cabin and Seats. Safran results