News Of Deal Comes As SPEEA Talks Begin Tuesday
ANN REALTIME REPORTING 10.28.08 0025 EDT:
Arthur F. Rosenfeld, Director of the US Federal Mediation and
Conciliation Service (FMCS), announced late Monday negotiators for
the Boeing Company and the International Association of Machinists
and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) have reached a tentative agreement
during talks overseen by federal mediators in the nation's
capital.
Rosenfeld said that no details of the tentative agreement will
be released by the agency. Boeing added the union retains the right
to release details of the agreement first... but it did provide
some vague details of the agreement.
"The company retained the flexibility necessary to manage its
business, while making changes to the contract language to address
the union's issues on job security, pay and benefits," Boeing said.
"The offer provides general wage increases every year and increases
pension benefits. In addition, Boeing is proposing no changes to
the cost share employees currently pay for a selection of
outstanding health care plans."
The tentative agreement is pending a ratification vote by IAMAW
members; leadership has recommended that workers accept the deal,
according to Boeing.
The latest round of discussions between the parties in the
presence of federal mediators began Thursday, October 23, in
Washington.
The FMCS Director commended negotiators for the IAMAW and Boeing
for their hard work at the bargaining table. "Both sides showed
professionalism and a willingness to roll up their sleeves and to
stick with the difficult task in front of them," Rosenfeld
said.
"This is an outstanding offer that rewards employees for their
contributions to our success while preserving our ability to
compete," added Scott Carson, president and CEO of Boeing
Commercial Airplanes. "I thank both negotiating teams and the
federal mediator for their hard work and commitment in reaching
this agreement. We recognize the hardship a strike creates for
everyone -- our customers, suppliers, employees, community and our
company -- and we look forward to having our entire team back."
If employees vote to approve the offer, it will end the strike
by approximately 27,000 employees in Washington, Oregon and
Kansas.
Original Story
2200 EDT: The Boeing strike appears to have dragged on
long enough to be motivating both sides. Connie Kelliher, a
spokeswoman for the International Association of Machinists and
Aerospace Workers in Seattle told the Associated Press that after
calling a break in the wee hours of Monday morning, negotiators for
both sides and a federal mediator caught a few hours' sleep and
resumed talks.
The negotiations are taking place under a news blackout. More
than 27,000 workers at three plants have been on strike against
Boeing since September 6, with the major issue being outsourcing
policy. Boeing loses an estimated $100 million every day the strike
continues.
Meanwhile, the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in
Aerospace is set to start talks with Boeing reps on Tuesday. It's
20,000 employees have a contract which expires on December 1, and
union leaders have said the same outsourcing issues producing the
impasse for the machinists will be a major issue for SPEEA
members.
The Puget Sound Business Journal reports union Executive
Director Ray Goforth issued a statement which said, "Engineers and
technical workers are the life’s blood of Boeing, but the
current regime at corporate headquarters treats them as mere
vendors selling a service to Chicago. This disrespect has to
end."
Pressure on the company to avoid a second strike is growing.
Even though its plants have been shut down, Boeing has had to
continue paying idled SPEEA members through the IAM strike. If an
IAM settlement is closely followed by a SPEEA strike, IAM members
will resume getting paid whether production can resume or not.
Boeing officials recently hinted to the Seattle business
community that should the Pacific Northwest become known as a
"strike zone," moving operations to a right-to-work state could
become more attractive.
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