Boeing-SPEEA dispute in Kansas continues

Published 12:39 pm Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Boeing engineers in Wichita, Kan., are being encouraged to “Say NO to voluntary overtime” by their union leaders.

Contract talks went sour last week between the Boeing Co. and the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace. The company called a recess on Friday to negotiations on a contract for 700 engineers represented by SPEEA in Wichita.

SPEEA had agreed to extend the current contract through Jan. 5, 2009. The union has voiced frustration and disappointment over Boeing’s offer to engineers there, saying the company treated Wichita engineers like second class workers with its offer.

The union has implemented a “work to rule” policy in Kansas, which urges members to refuse voluntary overtime.

And SPEEA is “establishing plans to expand (work to rule) campaign nationwide,” the union’s executive director Ray Goforth said in a brief text message to members Wednesday. That means engineers and technical workers here in the Puget Sound region soon could be urged to follow the lead of the members in Wichita.

Boeing announced last month that it plans to cut roughly 800 defense jobs – including engineering positions – next year in Wichita.