Workers at V2X Vertex Aerospace in Fort Worth, Texas, who maintain military aircraft at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport, have voted to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). The group will be represented by IAM District 776.
The mail-in ballot election concluded on December 30, with employees showing strong support for union representation. This organizing effort follows years of groundwork and gained momentum in June 2025 when workers contacted the IAM for assistance.
“This campaign really belongs to the workers,” said IAM Associate Organizer Keith “Chub” McCrory. “They stuck together through delays, through uncertainty, and they never lost sight of why they wanted a union.”
McCrory noted that discussions about organizing had been ongoing for years but intensified after an employee reached out to the union. “We met with a handful of them, dropped cards right away, and let them take ownership of the campaign,” McCrory said. “It’s their contract. It’s their future.”
The election process was delayed by the 2025 federal government shutdown, but employees remained committed despite this challenge. “I honestly thought the shutdown might cool things off,” McCrory said. “But they hung in there. That’s what made this win so meaningful.”
Some workers had prior experience with IAM representation and helped build confidence among their colleagues while countering opposition within the workplace. According to McCrory, V2X did not launch a major anti-union effort.
“In the end, people will see what a contract can do for them,” said McCrory.
This outcome is significant for IAM’s strategy in North Texas as Alliance Field is a center for aerospace and defense service contract work. The IAM already represents V2X employees at other sites and is recognized as the largest aerospace and defense union nationally.
“Planting the flag out there was the goal,” McCrory said. “This is just the beginning, a new beginning in that area.”
The organizing campaign was led by Keith McCrory and Joey Barnes from IAM’s Organizing Department with support from District 776 leadership including President Doyle Huddleston.
“We wouldn’t be here without District 776’s help,” McCrory said.
