EVERETT — Contract talks between the Boeing Co. and its engineers union deteriorated Thursday, with union advisers giving the OK for a strike vote.
The Boeing Co. has not presented its engineers union with a final contract offer. But leaders for Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace on Thursday night authorized a strike vote if negotiations fail. The decision by SPEEA’s council members does not mean that a strike is imminent.
“We’re being prepared,” said Bill Dugovich, SPEEA’s communications director.
The union’s contract with Boeing expires Dec. 1.
SPEEA’s council had already planned to meet Thursday before deciding to discuss a strike authorization, Dugovich said. He noted that union leaders have to ask the council for strike authorization as part of the process. But asking for authorization before union leaders see Boeing’s final offer isn’t a good sign, he said.
“A great deal of progress has been made,” said Ray Goforth, SPEEA’s executive director. “It would be unfortunate for customers, shareholders and employees of Boeing if we can’t reach a deal at the bargaining table.”
The union and Boeing did not have serious contract talks Thursday, Dugovich said. On Wednesday, both Boeing and SPEEA said progress had been made on a new four-year labor deal. The two sides had anticipated that a final offer would be made this week.
But Goforth told SPEEA members in a message early Thursday that “talks stalled.”
The two had informal discussions with a federal mediator, who has been involved throughout the negotiations, said Boeing’s Doug Kight in a message to managers Thursday.
“While the talks were focused on bridging the distance between the company and the union, differences remain over economic issues,” Kight said.
The union and Boeing need to resolve differences on pensions, compensation, health benefits and SPEEA representation of about 100 engineers in Utah, SPEEA’s Dugovich said. Those issues have been divisive since intense contract talks began in late October.
Boeing’s 27,000 Machinists returned to work earlier this month after staging a 57-day strike against the jet maker, shutting down production and delaying aircraft deliveries. A strike by SPEEA would be an additional setback for Boeing and its new 787 Dreamliner, which was more than 15 months behind schedule before the Machinists’ strike.
SPEEA has gone on strike against Boeing only twice, once for only a day. The union’s strike in 2000 lasted 40 days.
Also Thursday, SPEEA put out a warning to members about possible polling by Boeing about the contract. The labor group contends that having managers ask workers what they think about contract issues “is not acceptable as part of the collective bargaining process.” It’s asked engineers and technical workers to report incidents of it to the union. Boeing Machinists complained of similar instances during their negotiations with the company.
Boeing and SPEEA will continue contract discussions today.
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