
SPEEA President Cynthia Cole listens as Boeing's Vice President of Engineering Mike Denton, right, talks during Wednesday's negotiations steering committee meeting.
SPEEA - Boeing negotiations
steering
committee meets
Negotiations team members from SPEEA and The Boeing Company met Wednesday, Sept. 17, as preparations continue toward main table talks on Oct. 28 for 20,740 engineers and technical workers covered by the Puget Sound contracts.
The meeting was scheduled to give Boeing the opportunity to ask questions about SPEEA's initial contract proposal. However, during the two-hour meeting Boeing officials did not ask a single clarifying questions about the union proposal.
At the end of the meeting, the company handed out an eight-page "Proposed Platform for Discussions." The document first recognizes the company's "great success" and "order backlog over many product lines," and then continues the trend started during the meeting by outlining shifting of medical costs to employees and the need to continue to outsource engineering, technical work and manufacturing. Boeing officials would not discuss the issue of Utah engineers.
“It was disappointing that Boeing presented a platform that articulated their intent to pursue takeaways in benefits," said Ray Goforth, executive director and chief union spokesman for negotiations.
“During a time when the company is making record profits and securing record orders they should be talking about sharing that success with the employees who make it possible."
Based on member input, surveys and sound research, the SPEEA proposal provides reasonable contract improvements and solutions to issues and concerns facing members. Read a detailed summary of the SPEEA proposal:Detailed Summary Proposal.
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