EVENDALE, Ohio: A contract standoff has triggered a walkout at GE Aerospace, with more than 600 United Auto Workers union members striking at two of the company's facilities in Ohio and Kentucky.

The strike began on August 28 after negotiations failed to produce a new labor agreement, UAW President Shawn Fain said. Workers at GE's Evendale, Ohio, plant — which builds marine and industrial engines for the U.S. Navy — and at its Erlanger, Kentucky, distribution facility, which supplies parts to engine plants, are participating in the work stoppage.

The UAW's local chapter had already authorized strike action in a vote ahead of the contract deadline on August 27.

The walkout underscores growing labor tensions across the aerospace and aviation industries. Pilots, flight attendants, machinists, and engineers have in recent years demanded higher pay and stronger job protections amid rising demand for skilled labor.

GE Aerospace said it has put contingency plans in place to keep operations running during the strike. "We are disappointed the union chose to strike before our employees had a chance to vote on the offer," a company spokesperson said.

The dispute adds to a broader wave of union action in U.S. manufacturing and transportation, highlighting how tight labor markets are giving organized workers more leverage in negotiations with employers.