Boeing engineers on contract: Fly or no fly

Published 5:33 pm Monday, January 14, 2008

With 10 months to go before it receives a contract offer from the Boeing Co., the union representing the jet maker’s engineers intends to take a strong stance in negotiations.

The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace already has outlined some of its priorities for the new three-year labor deal. SPEEA represents more than 20,000 engineers and technical workers in the Puget Sound region.

In the latest edition of SPEEA News, union president Cynthia Cole noted that when Boeing presents its “best and final” contract in November, SPEEA members will decide whether it’s “fly or no fly.”

“We want no take-aways and reasonable growth in benefits, the compensation package must be on that retains and attracts valuable employees, we want agreements regarding job security, recognition of technical jurisdiction, and we expect the Wichita engineers to be in parity with the Puget Sound engineers,” Cole said.

The union says it has several “trust issues” with Boeing due to a fight over representation in Utah and California. SPEEA’s Cole also pointed to some a tentative understanding the union reached with Boeing during its last negotiation in 2005. The “letters of understanding” addressed benefits for workers who opt for voluntary layoffs or for early retirement. The engineers say the issues are still unresolved.

For the next contract, SPEEA won’t tolerate similar treatment in upcoming talks, Cole said.

The tough talk follows nearly six months of strife among the leaders within SPEEA. The union hopes to have a new executive director in place by the end of the month. Four members of SPEEA’s board ousted the previous director in July. Those members later were recalled. Members have a chance to meet executive board candidates later this week.