Boeing and its engineering union remain far apart on nailing down an acceptable contract offer, the union said.
On Thursday, the two sides discussed the contract’s duration, medical coverage and sick leave and vacation. Boeing has proposed various contract lengths, a plan the union considers a move to separate Wichita engineers from agreements forged with their peers in Seattle. While each group works under a separate agreement, many items are the same.
“While we have seen some movement by Boeing (on Thursday), significant issues and gaps remain and must be worked out before negotiations can conclude,” SPEEA said.
Boeing and the union, the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, are in the midst of contract negotiations. SPEEA represents about 700 engineers at Boeing Wichita.
Negotiations have “soured,” the union said.
Boeing is risking delays to its programs in Wichita and in Puget Sound because of what its engineering union calls an “insulting” initial contract proposal.
SPEEA is planning a “work-to-rule” campaign for 21,000 represented engineers and technical workers in Wichita and in Washington, Oregon, California and Utah, it said. “Work-to-rule” means employees meticulously follow all workplace procedures, safety rules and contract terms, checking and double-checking things. It has the potential to slow things down, said SPEEA spokesman Bill Dugovich.
The union has asked represented engineers to start declining management’s requests to work voluntary overtime and cites the bargaining agreement.
SPEEA said it plans to present its response to the company today.
2 Comments
Until SPEEA figures out that BEFORE Main table Negotiations start, a vote for strike authorization must be made as is done by the IAM, there will never be a reason for Boeing but to do anything but lowball the team and bargaining unit members. Its a good bet that as in Seattle, the company will rely on ‘ hard times ” to forestall such a vote.
The SPEEA method of selling out its members and playing kissy-face has its roots over a decade ago under the previous Executive Director.
Unless and until Wichita realizes that they can and should pay attention to the Federal statues as to how a local must be organized and controlled by the LOCAL members, they will continue to be treated by Boeing and SPEEA as the stepchild. That concept was well proven when SPEEA lost the decert election for other members a few years ago. A lot of very fine people got the shaft then.
It sounds like a repeat is about to take place – SPEEA is losing the PR game- and despite extra effort by the new Exec Director, fixing the decades of Staff and Officer corruption in addition to correcting the internal office politics and educating the Boffia clones still in office and leadership positions is bit much to handle in a short time.
Democracy is hard work – the current situation is a result of apathy of way too many members both at Wichita and Seattle .
Evidently Airbus loves Boeing engineers than does our beloved company.
http://www.wingsoverkansas.com/news/article.asp?id=526