Boeing, Union to Start Contract Talks

Contract talks covering Boeing Co. scientists, engineers, manual writers and technical workers begin Monday amid signs of growing restlessness within their union.

In a recent membership survey by the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, 60% said the union is too cozy with the company.

As in the past, some also complained that the contracts are inferior to those of the larger machinists union, which represents hourly production workers. SPEEA, formerly the Seattle Professional Engineering Employees Assn., is the second-largest union at Boeing, representing nearly 23,000 workers in three bargaining units and seven states. Contracts for the three units are negotiated together.

“A union’s job is to be adversarial with the company,” said Andrea Fisher, a metallurgical inspector who joined SPEEA six months ago. “Otherwise, what good is a union?”

Charles Bofferding, the union’s executive director, counters that conciliation, rather than confrontation, has been the key to the union’s clout.

“I don’t believe in police brutality. We have a lot more tools in our toolbox than just a strike,” Bofferding said. “We’d still like to do things in cooperation with the company.”

Union leaders have said they hope to reach a tentative agreement by Nov. 17. The current contract expires Dec. 1.