"I've told all the guys in my shop, you know, come over to my house and I'll feed you, 'cause I've saved up a good amount of money for this," said Dale Ballenger, a union member on strike.
The impact of the machinists strike at Bombardier Learjet is already being felt by more than just those walking the picket lines. The longer the strike lasts the more the rest of the city feels the financial impact.
Twenty-five year Bombardier Learjet veteran Dale Ballenger says he's as ready for the strike as he can be and he urged the others on his team to prepare as well.
"I'd try to tell all the guys to save up, 'cause this is a contract year and you never know what kind of a contract we're going to get offered," Ballenger said.
Not knowing how long the strike will last, picketers are thinking twice about every cent they spend.
"I know for me you don't go out to eat. You just, you know, you do a lot of grocery shopping now, you know? You stay at home and eat," Ballenger said.
Dave Franson of the Wichita Aero Club has seen a lot of strikes over the years.
"The ripple effect of a strike can usually show up pretty quickly in the restaurants and the retail outlets," Franson said.
Down the street from the plant, at Hammond Liquors local community support is helping make up for what strikers aren't spending.
"Not as bad as it was Monday and Tuesday, when it first started. It's getting a little bit better, but it's definitely impacted quite a bit," said owner George Hammond.
But even with the extra support from the community, it's still not quite enough. The impact doesn't end there. The list of things strikers are avoiding or postponing grows with every day they walk the picket line.
"Vacations.... things like gift shopping for the coming holidays," listed Franson. "Dentist appointments, you know maybe eyeglass appointments." He went on to add, "It really does get down to the brass tacks of how you live."
Despite wanting the strike over as quickly as possible, union workers say they'll continue to picket until they get a contract they consider fair. Both sides say no return to negotiations has been scheduled yet.
