With the desire to focus all attention on solving the emergent issues with the Boeing Co.’s 787, the union representing engineers and technical workers proposed incorporating areas of agreement from ongoing negotiations into existing contracts and extending the agreements for another four years.

This “best and final” offer by the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA)/IFPTE Local 2001 was presented as negotiations resumed at 1 p.m. yesterday, with the assistance of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) at the SeaTac Hilton.

SPEEA’s unprecedented offer would free Boeing and 23,000 engineers and technical workers from protracted and increasingly contentious negotiations that appear headed for a strike. It also allows the company and its technical workforce to focus on reaffirming confidence and proving the 787 is the reliable and safe product employees know it to be. Completing negotiations also helps Boeing stay focused on supporting customers, engineering the 767 tanker, 737 MAX, increasing 737 and 777 production rates and the other products needed for our national defense.

“These negotiations have been going on for more than a year,” said Tom McCarty, SPEEA president and professional team member. “At this point, we should move forward with the items upon which we can agree and leave the status quo in place for the remaining items.”

SPEAA Communications Director Bill Dugovich sends us this update on SPEEA's negotations with Boeing. Read more at: http://www.speea.org/.