IAM Workers In Kansas Largely Voted Against The Recent Contract Offer From Boeing

Among the IAM members who rejected the latest contract offer from Boeing were 230 Boeing Wichita hourly employees who work in a plant slated for closure by Boeing next year, some of whom will likely be moving to the Puget Sound region at some point in the future.

Many of them still voted against the nine-year contract which would have meant Boeing would do much of the fabrication and assembly work on its new 777X airplane in the Puget Sound region, but also included some reductions in benefits for workers, including health benefits and pensions.

Frank Molina, an IAM representative for the Wichita district, told the Wichita Eagle that with the fate of the operation there pretty well set, there was not a lot in the contract that affected the Kansas workers.

But where the union workers see disappointment, the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition sees an opportunity. The group met Thursday to discuss the feasibility of going after the work, which Boeing says is now not guaranteed to be done in the Puget Sound region. After the union voted to reject the contract, Boeing immediately said it would consider other areas for fabrication and assembly of the 777X. Boeing spokesman Doug Alter said in an e-mail to the paper that rejection of the contract meant the location for the 777X work would be "competitive."

Boeing is expected to announce the new airplane at the Dubai Air Show next week.

FMI: www.boeing.com, www.gwedc.org