Vought gets tough with strikers

Published 10:22 am Wednesday, January 7, 2009

If Machinists here thought negotiations with the Boeing Co. were tough, they need only to look to their fellow union members who work for Vought Aircraft Industries in Tennessee to see how difficult contract talks can become.

Vought warned about 900 striking workers that they can either return to work or will be replaced, The Tennessean reports. The IAM members have been on strike for 101 days, costing workers nearly $18 million in lost wages, according to Vought.

The union says the main sticking point in negotiations has been Vought’s insistence on replacing a defined pension plan with a 401(k) type plan for workers with less than 16 years of seniority. That’s a subject near and dear to Boeing workers – both Machinists and SPEEA members – here in the Puget Sound region.

Also on the contract negotiations front … Boeing and SPEEA will resume talks next week in Kansas, The Wichita Eagle reports. The union is negotiating a contract for about 700 engineers there. Negotiations broke off in early December. SPEEA implemented a “Work to Rule” campaign there, asking members to refuse voluntary overtime.