boeingfactory.jpg
Leaders of the union for Boeing's engineering and technical workers have voted to include strike authorization on ballots going to members next week. (AP Photo/File)

Union leaders approve strike authorization at Boeing

BY Chris Sullivan  on January 31, 2013 @ 6:27 am (Updated: 6:52 pm - 1/31/13 )

Leader for the union representing Boeing's engineers and technical workers have voted to include strike authorization on ballots going to members next week.

Negotiators for the nearly 23,000 engineers and technical union approved adding the strike authorization to the ballots at a special meeting Thursday.

They also voted to join recommendations from the SPEEA negotiating team to reject Boeing's latest contract offer.

Ballots will go out to members Tuesday. We would know the results on Feb. 19.

SPEEA has said it won't go on strike before the first week of March, if it decides to walk out at all. That deadline would be just a few days after all Boeing workers will get about three weeks bonus pay under the company's incentive plan.

Boeing CEO Jim McNerney is hopeful the engineers and technical workers will not choose this time to walk out for only the third time in their history.

"We're all very hopeful that our discussions with SPEEA will not come to that, but I think we're going to have enough experts available to keep looking at this issue if it goes that far," McNerney said.

Boeing just announced another record year with $81.7 billion in revenues. SPEEA wants its piece of the pie.

The company has offered wage pool raises as high as 5 percent. But it's the pension that's stopping a deal. Boeing says it can't continue to pay out like it is. It spent over $1.5 billion on pension payouts last year. It wants new hires to enter into a 401k-based program.

Chris Sullivan, KIRO Radio Reporter
Chris loves the rush of covering breaking news and works hard to try to make sense of it all while telling stories about real people in extraordinary circumstances.
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Comments (23)


  • Add A Comment

  • mpgunner wrote...
    Unions are digging their hole...
    January 31, 2013 9:41 pm
    "Perception is 9/10'ths the law" They just don't get it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cigarfan wrote...
    @mpgunner
    January 31, 2013 11:14 pm
    It's about negotiation. I think you don't get it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rangerhawk wrote...
    If Twinkies could fly
    February 1, 2013 12:31 am
    They'd likely migrate to a Right to Work State too.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Zoeller wrote...
    “Great benefits are overshadowed by several drawbacks at the "Lazy B"”
    February 1, 2013 6:07 am
    They don't call Boeing the "Lazy B" for no reason. If you like a place where you can just get by and hang out at work without doing much "actual" work, Boeing is the place for you. Sure there are some employees that are great performers, but the majority of employees seem to be content with doing as little as possible. Promotions at Boeing are based exclusively on seniority, and not based on actual performance. This may be what accounts for the laziness as employees know that even if they overachieve, they will not be rewarded for it.(Unions at their best.)
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • monchichi15 wrote...
    Promotions based on....
    February 1, 2013 6:42 am
    SPEEA promotions are based on the employee's performance and the engineers and technical workers must meet goals in order to get part of the 5% wage pool. It is not guaranteed. You can find lazy people at any company and Boeing does have its share but most of the professionals and technical workers are well educated hard workers. If Boeing would stop outsourcing much of the airplane then maybe we would not have the type of situation that we have with the batteries. They were made and tested in Japan and now our workers must find a fix!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }