Boeing and SPEEA: the debate heats up

Boeing’s engineers’ union, SPEEA, has been pretty vocal in its campaign to members with internal statements, its website and on Twitter–the latter certainly read by media.

Boeing now has launched a public website of its own.

10 Comments on “Boeing and SPEEA: the debate heats up

  1. and so it starts … But FWIW – many years ago, I had some dealings with Ray Connor at that time a ‘ shop” manager on the 777 program, in a meeting with way too many hard case bull of the woods bcrats typical of Boeing. His was the only voice of reason and willing to follow up on my proposal for saving about 50K/day in electrical costs for providing compressed air.
    Which by the way was mostly implemented about a year later.

    Hopefully, having been on both sides- he may be able to tamp down the BA power point rangers and beancounters, and remove the bull**** whips

  2. It is hard to believe that Boeing will be antagonistic to their professional engineering workforce when they have been so relient on them for the 787 work as well as the 737Max family.

    Ray Conner must have enormous understanding of the labor issues facing Boeing and is far more equipt to mediate and moderate unnecessary acrimony and achieve another successful agreement.

    Perhaps all this drum beating is part of the early stage of negotiations and will settle down when serious talks commence.

    • To an outsider, it doesn’t make sense re BA hard nose games. But as I’ve said, it really depends on the high level power point rangers above Ray. I recall many years ago that Alan Mulally had to give a ‘ speech’ in the media about the stalled negotiations and the wonders and fairness of the Boeing company offer at that time. He didn’t just look like a deer in the headlights, his body language and expressions were more like he had a mouthful of dog poo- and one suspected that there was an electric cattle prod or worse behind the curtain, should he waver from the ‘ party line ‘ at that time.

  3. Don, Lets hope Ray Conner is not made to nor would be placed in a similar position. I thought that many lessons have been learned the hard way for Boeing and the “party line” has been humbled. Ray Conner’s elevation is an example of the recognition of the importance of the Boeing workforce and the role it plays in the Company’s success.

    There is always arm wrestling during a negotiation and grunts and cursing. But at this very crucial stage with producion rampup and engineering work central to Boeing’s future, cooler heads should prevail to achieve a fair and balanced contract for both sides. Ray Conner can foster that. Cattle prods should be outlawed.

  4. Well BA being High tech- they have replaced the Cattle Prod with a long range Taser ( from Chicago to Seattle ).

    However, SPEEA seems to be getting more members and represented to pay attention to Negotiations such as desk tents, and wearing red shirts or similar attire every Wednesday as a signal of solidarity.

    IMHO –Many many SPEEA types have worked bucu overtime and foregone vacations to get BA out of the Dreamliner- Outsourcing mess, and are not likely to have a great deal of sympathy with the BA backroom beancounters who are more worried about executive Bone-them perks than the good will of employees, especially when the company is trying to impress newbies and interns with ‘ job stability ‘ issues and phony perks.

    • Don, I thought overtime was something beneficial as it increased pay. I read somewhere that one of the underlying issues was the use of contractors for overtime rather than Boeing employees and that SPEEA is trying to reach into the various contractors to get them enrolled.

      Anyway, these issues will become clearer in time but I repeat that there has to be some reasonable balance between the Company and its Engineers and I hope that Ray Conner is the one who will be most effective in accomplishing that end.

  5. What many do not realize re overtime is that after a while- 6 day weeks become burdensome.
    SPEEA has both professional and technical bargaining units. The techs get the required federal rate of time and a half, and the Profs via contract get [currently] time plus 6.50/hour.

    Now the current overall average wage rate for SPEEA ( includes Wichita, Calif, Florida, etc ) is $ 38.47 / .85 or $ 45.25 per hour. This is known since SPEEA dues are based on 85 % of the average bargaining unit(s) wage rates. So Engineers and Profs do not get time and a half.

    SPEEA represented in Commercial have been putting in so much overtime, that some ( minor) changes/agreements have been made to allow carryover of vacation time and some changes in total hours per quarter allowable. While it is true that overtime is ” Voluntary “, there has been significant ‘ encouragement ‘ by the company in some areas to ‘ volunteer”.
    Of course there is no coercion- but one must keep in mind things like career choice.

    And until 20 years, Seniority in SPEEA units has no real effect on relative ratings or rankings when the inevitable layoffs and reductions cycles happen.

    Add to that the near certainty that for those Boeing types in government projects, a good chance that to keep in compliance with federal regs, WARN notices may go out late october or early november due to the tax and sequestration games going on – or NOT going on by congresscritters.

    And as to contractors – some might well be called ‘ perma- temps ‘.

    So just what kind of games is Boeing playing by delaying???

    • Don, Last comment as there are many issues that I am unaware of and not really qualified to weigh in on. I am simply hoping that sensible people can come to reasonable terms. The IAM negotiation seemed to have an equal number of issues and had been traditionally more anagonistic but Ray Conner managed to get a longer term agreement in place.

      I am hoping that SPEEA will also be satisfied with some creative and effective solution to its issues.

  6. It does not seem that BA is open to any creative solutions !!!!

    Prof and Tech Negotiation Team Update

    Report out from Aug. 9 negotiations

    During joint negotiations Thursday (Aug. 9), The Boeing Company reviewed SPEEA’s proposal on benefits and asked questions.

    During the discussion, the company failed to agree to a single item SPEEA proposed. When asked when they would provide a proposal for the members to review, the company would only commit to providing an offer ‘sometime’ prior to the contract expiration (Oct. 6).

    The Prof and Tech Negotiation Teams will brief the Council at its monthly meeting on the status of the negotiations. This meeting is open to members at both SPEEA offices at 4:30 p.m. tonight (Thursday, Aug. 9). For those unable to attend, please talk to your Council Rep to get the details of what they learned.

    Professional Team Technical Team Rebekah Hewitt
    Rick Hoffman
    Tom McCarty
    John McLaren
    Ryan Rule 
    Joel Funfar
    Sandra Hastings
    Brent McFarlane
    Roger Pullman
    Ron Shoemaker

    • And BA is still stonewalling . . . .

      Prof and Tech Negotiation Team Update
      Boeing corporate still withholding proposal

      SPEEA and Boeing’s negotiation teams met Thursday (Aug. 16). Again, Boeing did not bring a contract proposal. More than two months have now passed since our negotiation teams presented proposals for contract changes. Boeing corporate would not commit to a timeline for providing a proposal.

      SPEEA and Boeing meet again Aug. 23.

      Professional Team Technical Team Rebekah Hewitt
      Rick Hoffman
      Tom McCarty
      John McLaren
      Ryan Rule 
      Joel Funfar
      Sandra Hastings
      Brent McFarlane
      Roger Pullman
      Ron Shoemaker

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