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Posted 5/17/2023
Friday, June 2
Reception to honor the life of Joel Funfar

Joel Funfar
Former SPEEA President

Friends, co-workers and fellow union members are invited to a reception honoring the late Joel
Funfar from 3 to 5 p.m., Friday, June 2 at SPEEA headquarters in Tukwila.

Joel, 59, died April 23, in a Tacoma hospital days after suffering a heart attack.

A past SPEEA President, Joel was currently serving as a SPEEA-Area Vice President on the IFPTE Executive Board. A second-generation Boeing employee with 32 years of service, Joel rose through the ranks of union offices serving as Area and Council Rep, Northwest and SPEEA Council Chair, Tech Negotiation Team as well as serving on numerous union committees and as a delegate to labor
councils.

The reception will allow friends to share memories of Joel and honor his many contributions to SPEEA and the labor movement.

Posted 6/1/2023
Updated information
Washington Long Term Care tax starts in July

The Washington Cares Fund payroll taxes on employee earnings are expected to start in July.

The first deduction for employees in Washington state will appear on the first paycheck in July. For salaried employees at The Boeing Company this is July 6.

Two years ago, “Trustmark” offered Boeing Washington State employees an opportunity to purchase Life + Long Term Care (LTC) coverage in advance of the state’s Nov. 1, 2021 deadline. Those who had private long-term care insurance on or before Nov. 1, 2021, were able to apply for an exemption from the Washington Cares Fund during the opt-out period from Oct. 1, 2021, until Dec. 31, 2022. This opt-out provision is no longer available.

Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Utah are currently considering programs similar to the Washington state program. As a result, Boeing is now extending the Trustmark offering to ALL U.S. employees in advance of any of their states’ pending LTC legislation.

Washington state employees have the ability to purchase new or additional LTC coverage from June 5-16, 2023, but the coverage will require “evidence of insurability” (aka proof of good health). If approved, the new policy will not qualify for exemption from Washington’s LTC tax because the deadline for exemptions for private LTC coverage has passed.

Due to recent changes in the law, there are new ways to become exempt from the LTC tax. Washington workers became eligible for the new exemptions beginning 1/1/2023 if any of the following apply to them:

Live outside of Washington.
Have non-immigrant work visas.
Are the spouse or registered domestic partner of an active-duty service member of the United States armed forces.

Workers only qualify for these exemptions while these circumstances apply. Workers will no longer qualify for an exemption if they move to Washington, become a permanent resident or if their spouse is separated from military service or the marriage/partnership is dissolved.

If one of these new exemptions is applicable to you and you want to find out how to apply for an exemption online, or if you want to learn more, visit www.wacaresfund.wa.gov

Posted 6/1/2023
Area Reps – Time to re-endorse for new two-year terms

SPEEA requires current and new Area Reps to sign up for new two-year terms.

If you are currently serving as your Council Rep’s Area Rep and want to continue, ask your Council Rep to re-endorse you by contacting SPEEA. Then you will be coded in the database as an Area Rep for Council Reps’ distribution lists.

Area Reps who have not re-endorsed by Monday, July 17, are removed from the role in SPEEA’s database.

Every two years, when new terms start for Council Reps, SPEEA requires this every to ensure an active group of Area Reps and an accurate database.

Re-endorse

Current Area Reps can re-endorse by confirming their commitment with their Council Rep.

If you are an Area Rep in a district without a Council Rep, you can re-endorse by sending an email to petitions@speea.org.

Not sure who is your Council Rep? Go to www.speea.org (drop-down menu: Find your Council Rep).

New Area Reps

If you’re a member interested in becoming an Area Rep to help as a SPEEA liaison, get the Area Rep petition at www.speea.org (drop-down menu: Councils/Petitions, Forms, Delineations).

The petition requires either the Council Rep’s signature or signatures of five members in the district. Instructions for collecting signatures via personal email are included on the petition.

About the Area Rep role

Learn more about what the role involves by asking a Council Rep or go to www.speea.org (drop-down menu: Member Tools/Area Reps).

Posted 4/26/2023
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
SPEEA & Spirit sign Letter Of Understanding regarding BYOD

After considerable discussion, the SPEEA Executive Board and Spirit AeroSystems reached an agreement to make Spirit’s Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy available to SPEEA-represented employees on a voluntary basis.

Formalized in a Letter Of Understanding (LOU) that is now part of union contracts, the agreement allows represented employees to participate in BYOD while still restricting the information Spirit is allowed to access on the personal cell phones of SPEEA-represented
employees.

SPEEA continues to have concerns about allowing the company to access any information on members’ personal devices. Members are urged to carefully consider the plusses and minuses before opting into the program that is voluntary for SPEEA-represented employees.

Read the BYOD Letter of Understanding

Posted 3/31/2023
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
Apply for NW Council STEM grant

Are you a Northwest SPEEA member involved in STEM outreach? Apply for a Northwest Council grant related to Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM).

Click here for application

The deadline to apply is Monday, Aug. 15.

The grants are distributed to help non-profit organizations promote students’ interest in STEM-related careers.

Grant applications can only be submitted by Northwest members who are connected to the organization as a coach, mentor or parent with a student involved, for example.

Past STEM grant recipients include robotics teams affiliated with For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) and the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair (WSSEF).

Members needed for grant review committee

Northwest SPEEA members are encouraged to apply for the committee reviewing STEM grant applications. The committee, which includes Northwest Council officers, provides its recommendation to the Council for a vote.

To apply for the STEM Grant Review Committee, email nw_stem_grants@speea.org with your contact information and school district where you live by noon, Thursday, June 30.

Posted 9/28/2022
Solidarity with Ukraine
SPEEA calls for more action by Boeing against Russia

SEATTLE - Russia’s continued attack on Ukraine and its people demands more action by U.S. corporations, including The Boeing Company.

While more than 400 U.S. companies have stopped and removed operations in Russia, Boeing has only announced “suspension” of work in Moscow and elsewhere.

Boeing previously announced it will no longer buy titanium and aluminum from Russia. With the most recent announcement of Russia calling up more troops and escalating the war, it is clear stronger action is warranted.

The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), IFPTE Local 2001, calls on Boeing to cease all operations in Russia and start the permanent transfer of that work to other locations.

The destruction and atrocities Russia is inflicting on Ukraine and its people will reverberate for decades after this brutal conflict ends. As a world leader in aerospace, Boeing’s permanent departure will send a strong message to Russia that there are far reaching consequences for invading and inflicting unforgivable death and destruction on sovereign countries and their people.

In making this call to Boeing, the 17,000 SPEEA-represented employees at Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, extend a hand of solidarity to the people of Ukraine. While we cannot fully imagine the horrors Russia has inflicted on you, your families, and your way of life this past year, we are in awe of your bravery and resolve to save your country.

As a union formed and maintained by collective action, we stand in Solidarity with the people of Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with our call on Russia to end this conflict and recall its troops.

Press Release

Updated 9/22/2022
The Boeing Company
Virtual work should remain an option for SPEEA members

The Boeing Company’s unilateral corporate edict for employees to return to the workplace is more focused on workplace optics than actual data regarding productivity.

SPEEA-represented employees continue to show high levels of productivity – whether working on-site or virtually.

Union leaders and staff have repeatedly engaged Boeing on the need to allow employees to work virtually. Despite Boeing acknowledging virtual work is not impacting productivity and the company’s elimination of many on-site work spaces, corporate remains committed to returning its employees to the workplace.

While requiring its own direct employees to return to the workplace, Boeing continues to outsource work to locations around the world – effectively allowing this outsourced work to be performed offsite.

The people who are entrusted to design, engineer and support the manufacturing of the world’s most sophisticated aerospace products should also be trusted by their employer to decide how to best get their group’s work statement completed. It is unfortunate management continues to assert its right to manage workers with less than adequate regard for the needs and well-being of its employees.

We encourage employees who want or need to continue working virtually to discuss their situation, viable options, and accommodations with their manager. Many local managers are working with employees and finding solutions such as long-term telecommuting or leave of absences.

Information in LOU-13 relating to Virtual Office/Telecommuting of the Prof and Tech contracts may be helpful.

Join a committee!

Committees are open to all members and cover a wide range of interests. Interested in politics? Join the Legislative and Public Affairs Committee. Other committees focus on diversity, member activities, new members, women's advocacy, veterans issues and other issues important to members. Attend a meeting to get a feel for the issues and activities. New issues and ideas are always welcome.

Established committees, along with their charter and officers are listed on the committee pages. For more information, attend a meeting or contact one of the committee officers.

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