Strike bound at Boeing?

Note: scroll down to see Updates as events unfold. As we expected, the IAM leadership recommended a No vote on the “best and final” offer from Boeing, setting the stage for a contract vote and a companion strike… Read More

Back to the tanker

A few interesting stories today on the USAF tanker saga: Business Week: Boeing’s tanker challenge. Reuters: US arms buyer faults Boeing. This story quotes a Jacques Gansler of the University of Maryland who now sits on the Defense… Read More

And now about Airbus

Boeing has dominated the news in recent weeks because of the tanker and the IAM contract negotiations. At long last, here’s some news about Airbus. The company is actively talking about stretching the A380-800 to a -900, 1,000… Read More

787 first flight: up in the air, so to speak, suggests IAM

During a podcast conducted Wedesday with the IAM by Innovation Analysis Group about the contract negotiations between Boeing and the IAM, an IAM official ended the 16 minute podcast with the suggestion that Boeing may have to reevaluate… Read More

Final Offer Issued; Boeing to bypass IAM leadership

Boeing just posted its Best and Final Offer to the IAM in the contract negotiations, and it’s going to bypass the IAM leadership and take the offer directly to the IAM membership for approval. The vote is September… Read More

Boeing’s final offer today (8/28)

Boeing submitted a new proposal to the IAM union, taking two of three “deal-breakers” off the table, according to this report from Dominic Gates at The Seattle Times. Here is the Boeing offer. Update, 2:20 PM: The IAM… Read More

Predictable and disappointing

Northrop Grumman’s opposition to granting Boeing’s request for a six month response time instead of 45-60 days for the re-bid on the KC-X competition is predictable and disappointing. Boeing also threatened to no-bid the contract if it doesn’t… Read More

6 more months makes sense

(Updated 0730 AM PDT with references to EADS North America COO John Young and the “KC-35.”) Giving Boeing six more months to come up with a revised bid is a prudent and reasonable thing to do. Here’s why…. Read More

Playing the Northrop card

The Wall Street Journal just posted a story with a definitive statement from Boeing saying it may no-bid the tanker contract if it doesn’t get six months to prepare a new bid. The Department of Defense is thinking… Read More

Remarkable luck, piloting

We were one of many to receive an email about a near crash of a Lockheed P-3 Orion stationed at Whidbey Naval Air Station, north of Seattle. The text describes the in-flight incident; the photos illustrate the text…. Read More