Air Engineering Metal Trades Council (AEMTC) and Affiliated Unions, AFL-CIO voted July 26 to accept the mutually agreed to tentative offer from National Aerospace Solutions, LLC (NAS) to extend the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

NAS and the AEMTC began contract extension negotiations June 10 to establish work continuity through the Test Operations and Sustainment I (TOS I) contract and transition to the Test Operations and Sustainment II (TOS II) contract. The ratified extension is effective from 11 p.m. June 30, 2024, to 11 p.m. September 30, 2024.

“NAS looks forward to continued success with our valuable AEMTC team members,” said NAS General Manager Wayne Monteith. “The CBA extension allows us to continue delivering the Air Force mission safely and effectively.”

The AEMTC is the sole bargaining agent for its Union Affiliates and represents over 700 skilled craft professionals at AEDC.

The holder of the upcoming contract, Beyond New Horizons, will take over on Oct. 1. This past March, the contracting office at Arnold Air Force Base awarded the Test Operations and Sustainment (TOS) II contract to BNH, to ensure continuity of the AEDC ground test mission for the next several years. The contract is valued more than $3.7 billion.

While a strike was averted this week, union workers did walk out in July 2021 for two weeks, returning after a new contract was ratified.