Brown Calls on GE HealthCare to Engage in Good-Faith Negotiations with Workers at Aurora Facility

Image September 4, 2026 Press Release Cleveland, OH – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) has written to GE HealthCare urging them to negotiate in good faith with workers represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 1363 at the facility in Aurora, Ohio. In her letter to Peter J. Arduini, President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Healthcare, Brown cited “prolonged delays and a lack of meaningful progress at the bargaining table.” Brown called on the company to “meet its obligations under federal labor law, engage in regular and meaningful good-faith negotiations, and work toward a fair first contract in a timely manner.” In June, the House passed the bipartisan Faster Labor Contracts Act, legislation cosponsored by Brown, to ensure that when workers vote to form a union, employers are not allowed to drag out negotiations on first contracts. The text of the letter is copied below: Peter J. Arduini President and Chief Executive Officer GE HealthCare 500 W. Monroe Street Chicago, IL 60661 Dear Mr. Arduini: I write regarding the ongoing negotiations between GE HealthCare and approximately 130 employees at your Aurora, Ohio facility represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 1363. These employees voted in January 2025 to join IAM and have been working to secure their first collective bargaining agreement ever since. The work performed at the Aurora facility is critical to GE HealthCare’s mission and to Northeast Ohio’s advanced manufacturing economy. Your employees in Aurora manufacture coils used in MRI machines that help physicians diagnose and treat patients around the world. I have heard from constituents who have described prolonged delays and a lack of meaningful progress at the bargaining table. According to those constituents, negotiations have continued for more than 18 months, while GE HealthCare has declined to meet on a regular bargaining schedule and did not provide comprehensive economic proposals until July 2026. Those proposals reportedly included wages below some employees’ current rates of pay, reductions in paid time off, and increased health care costs for employees and their families. I also understand that IAM has filed two unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (Cases 08-CA-374224 and 08-CA-385852) concerning GE HealthCare’s conduct during negotiations, including allegations that the company has refused to meet regularly and withheld annual merit raises in 2026. I recognize that these allegations remain before the NLRB and that the Board is responsible for determining their merits. Nevertheless, the National Labor Relations Act protects employees’ rights to organize and bargain collectively through representatives of their choosing and requires employers and unions to bargain in good faith. I urge GE HealthCare to respect both the letter and spirit of these protections and refrain from any conduct that could interfere with employees’ exercise of their federally protected rights. I urge GE HealthCare to meet its obligations under federal labor law, engage in regular and meaningful good-faith negotiations, and work toward a fair first contract in a timely manner. I recognize that the terms of any agreement must be determined through the collective bargaining process and do not seek to dictate its outcome. However, after more than 18 months of negotiations, these employees deserve a consistent, constructive, and good-faith bargaining process. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I look forward to your response and to a resolution that supports GE HealthCare’s employees, the company, and the patients and communities that depend on their work. Sincerely, Shontel M. Brown Member of Congress