Negotiations between Boeing Wichita and its engineering union broke down today after Boeing refused to move on key issues, a union leader said.
A strike by the engineers is a “high possibility at this point in time,” said Bob Brewer, Midwest director of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace.
Members of SPEEA’s engineering union will revote on Boeing’s last offer next week. It is the same offer members rejected by 88 percent earlier this month. This time, however, members will vote on whether to authorize the union’s negotiating team to call a strike.
If they do, the team will decide whether to call a work stoppage, Brewer said. A date for the vote has not been set, Brewer said.
“I think there’s a lot of energy behind that,” he said. “I think the employees are tired of seeing the less-than-standard or deficient offer that they’ve been seeing.”
A federal mediator was called in to help with the talks, which resumed Monday after the contract’s rejection.
Boeing spokesman Jarrod Bartlett said the contract is one that rewards employees yet keeps the Wichita site competitive.
“We hope that employees will study and understand the provision of the best and final offer and vote to ratify,” Bartlett said. The company is prepared for a strike but is “focused on reaching an agreement.”
Boeing “communicated to SPEEA that our best and final offer was on the table, and that is our best and final offer,” Bartlett said.
SPEEA represents about 700 engineers in Wichita. Talks began in November, making them the longest negotiations in SPEEA history, the union said.
A strike would be a first in SPEEA’s history in Wichita. Boeing engineers and technical workers struck the company for the first time in the Seattle almost nine years ago.
29 Comments
Let them strike, there is thousands out there who would be glad to have their job and benefits. Does greed rule us all?
These employees don’t give a rats a$$ about their jobs, they are lucky to have them in the first place!!! absolutely ridiculous
I’m sure Boeing can find some people to replace them since everyone is laying off. Striking in a down economy is like setting fire to your own house, not real bright.
They must be nuts. Let’s go on strike so we can lose some more jobs around here. Duh! Nothing like cutting off your nose to spite your face. There are so many folks already out of work, and the rest of us get very little, if any, raises and are on the verge of being laid off. Dudes, I say just go ahead and go for it. And when you are looking for a handout, there won’t be anyone left to give you one.
While I agree that striking is a stupid idea right now, I am not so sure that Boeing could easily replace them. These are engineers and not your assembly employees who went on strike earlier. These guys actually have degrees, skills, and qualifications for their jobs.
I no longer work for Boeing but I can see the writing on the wall. It doesn’t add up what Boeing is doing unless they want to sell Wichita. Engineers are in high demand and Boeing is not willing to give Wichita the same terms as what SPEEA in the northwest received.
This is the most stupid thing I have ever heard of! These people have lost their dang minds
Boeing’s Wichita engineers are already paid less than their counterparts at Seattle or St. Louis, and engineering costs for Boeing are lower in Wichita than in Seattle or St. Louis. So it’s tough to accept getting a lower contract offer than the engineers in Seattle already have.
Rather then strike, these employees should be thankful they have a job. There are thousands right here in Wichita without jobs, and thousands more who are on the edge, not certain if they are even going to have a job. So what if they are paid less than others, the cost of living here is much smaller than in most of the country.
Maybe they will “strike for job security”? Slightly ironic, don’t you think?
Getting paid less than your counterparts is still a little better than not getting paid at all. How many engineers do you think are sub contracted at Boeing already? Your in an industry that is cutting jobs at a rapid pace because of declining profit. “The Man” is not keeping you down….”The Man” is licking his chops to replace you for half the price.
LOL…Raptor High 5
Lets see – about 1/3 of the engineers belong to the union. 2/3 do not. Those who have chosen to not join have no reason to strike, nor any obligation to strike.
In todays environment, those 2/3 are unlikely to honor the strike line – and since they are not members – they cannot be disciplined.
Unfortunately the die was cast a few years ago in 2007 when SPEEA’s ineptness resulted in many/most being hosed when SPEEA was decertified.
Boeing will just yawn if the few SPEEA goes out on strike-
Its SAD to see so many good people get hosed due to earlier apathy and poor leadership.
These employees don’t give a rats a$$ about their jobs, they are lucky to have them in the first place!!! absolutely ridiculous********
It’s their union and their right to strike. If it works out for them, good. If it proves to be a mistake, they live with the consequences. It’s none of your business what they do. You all sound like a bunch of whiny pusses that are afraid to take a chance. Get on back to your dead end low paying jobs.
W
Looks like with Cessna’s 4000 and Hawkers 2300 there are for sure some engineers out there ready to work I’ll bet I am
why would you want to be stupid at this economic time and strike, 3% 81 bucks for retirement, I hope they hire all new people
Keheeley049, that 6300 were the under educuated, unskilled workers that drank the koolaid. This is a fresh batch that would be hard to replace…well at least untill May when thousands of kids get that college degree and are chomping at the bit to get a job that pays that well and has that great of benifit package….but I could be wrong…it wouldn’t be the first time
Maybe you get paid less because of the cost of living factor between those area’s and Wichita. No one wins in a strike. Company loses money, employee’s don’t get paid and never make it up after a long strike and the businesses that would have gotten their business suffer loses.
see ya later boeing wichita. bye… buy. lol
It’s too bad SPEEA can’t read the writing on the wall. Unions had their day, just ask Richard Branson. We are professionals who don’t need SPEEA misinterpreting the Boeing offer. I have SPEEA’s retractions saved for posterity. I’m well aware how the current offer rates against Seattle’s and if I don’t like it I’ll work somewhere else. I’ll be crossing the line since SPEEA has lost touch with reality.
that new spirit service center wont need so many engeneers. speea leaders are no diferent than david coresh. coolaid anyone?
SPEEA, you FOOLS! Fools fools fools fools. Do you not see what the economy is doing, fools?
GOOD LUCK BOYS………better figure out if you want to RELOCATE to St. Louis, Ok City or San Antonio……..this will be the straw that broke the camels back……………
Strike … we can use the drama
Lifelongcat02 made a good observation that the cost of living is lower in Wichita than Seattle. Beyond that, SPEEA in Seattle made their deal back when aircraft orders were piling in and the economy was booming. Guess what?! The economy in 2009 is in deep recession, the unemployment rate even for educated people is spiking upward, and aircraft orders are being cancelled. All in all, it doesn’t seem very smart to go on strike.
Seems like they would take the offer and be thankful they have a job in wichita since the other companies are laying off and not giving any raises this year. The cost of living in WA state is more that KS, duh??? Haven’t they heard about what the economy is doing? You can squeese blood out of a turnip.
You have the best paid jobs with the best benefits in the industry, don’t blow it!
Don’t let the union blow it for you.