Engineering union rips Boeing’s first full contract offer
Boeing presented its initial full contract offer to engineering union officials Thursday, including discharge one’s obligation to and pension increases. Details were not publicly released by either side, mete union officials reacted negatively.
Ray Goforth, executive adviser of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), in a statement called the Boeing tender “an offer that completely misses the interests of our members.”
“What we received today is disappointing,” before-mentioned Goforth, after Thursday’s negotiations ended.
“It is clear difficult talks remain.”
SPEEA negotiators were reviewing intimately 100 pages of documents Thursday night and design to attentive their counterproposals today.
Boeing induce negotiator Doug Kight said in a statement the two sides acquire made progress in recent days on the union’s concerns about the employment of non-Boeing contract engineers.
But he also said Boeing is proposing “slight increases” to employee costs in the company health plan. That’s the same of the issues that caused the Machinists union strike. Boeing withdrew the proposal to settle the strike.
And in another proposal likely to raise diversity, Kight reported Boeing wants to re-establish the traditional pension with a 401(k)-style retirement savings plan for future hires. Again, the Machinists union roundly rejected a similar proposal in their contract talks; Boeing withdrew it before the strike.
Talks betwixt lead negotiators from Boeing and SPEEA began the final intense phase extreme week at the SeaTac Doubletree Hotel.
Boeing said it will deliver its “best and eventual offer” Tuesday. SPEEA’s membership is expected to vote upon the body that venture through mail before the current narrow expires Dec. 1.
However, the union is uneasy about this timetable and wants to talk longer if necessary.
“It’s concerning that Boeing continues to point to an artificial deadline of completing talks nearest week,” said Goforth. “We are prepared to keep negotiating until we desire a deal for members.”
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