Boeing Abandons Negotiations with SPEEA Engineers in Wichita, No Date to Resume

WICHITA, Kan. --- Refusing to respond to union proposals, without notice The Boeing Company today (Dec. 5) unilaterally announced a recess to contract negotiations with the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), IFPTE Local 2001. The union learned of the recess from a company email to employees.>> The company has not responded to our proposals and has now abandoned negotiations without notifying our negotiations team or suggesting a date to resume, said Ray Goforth, SPEEA executive director. This is the latest example of how little this company values Wichita engineers.>> The two sides started main table negotiations Nov. 17 to negotiate new contracts for 700 engineers at the Wichita Integrated Defense System (IDS) plant. This week, union leaders started a work-to-rule campaign for engineers and technical workers. The first step is asking engineers in Wichita to decline all voluntary overtime and voluntary work during the upcoming holidays. The work-to-rule is starting in Kansas and could eventually include aerospace engineers and technical workers in Washington, Oregon, California and Utah.>> Work at Wichita includes Italian and Japanese 767 tankers, E-4B (747 Airborne Operations Center) and E-737 Australian Wedgetail (Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft). The Italian tankers and Wedgetail are already four years behind schedule.>> Boeings most recent offer includes only a single wage increase in the first year of the three-year contract. No money is guaranteed to individual employees. No increases are offered for years 2 and 3. Boeing wants to eliminate the pension for new engineers and switch employees to an HMO medical plan that increases costs while providing less coverage.