The Boeing Co. has notified the union
representing striking engineers and technical workers that it
believes the two sides are at an impasse in labor talks and it may
try to impose an agreement.
Boeing spokesman Peter Conte confirmed today that the company
sent the Society for Professional Engineering Employees in
Aerospace a letter regarding the lack of movement in the talks.
SPEEA represents 22,600 engineers and technical workers in
Washington, California and Kansas. Workers walked out on Feb. 9
after formal negotiations with federal mediators fell apart. About
17,000 remain on strike.
"We have communicated to the union that we are at an impasse,"
Conte said. "We believe that we have irreconcilable issues and are
deadlocked. We are awaiting a response from the union before we
take any further steps."
Conte said those steps could include imposing part or all of its
latest contract offer, which the union rejected during mediated
talks over the weekend, or imposing part or all of the previous
contract, which lapsed at year's end.
For its part, the union said that it was far too soon to declare
an impasse and claimed Boeing was not negotiating in good faith.
"We believe this means that the company never intended to
negotiate in the first place," said Charles Bofferding, SPEEA's
executive director.
Bofferding said the union will file an unfair labor practice
charge with the National Labor Relations Board.
"They've decided to declare an impasse when we're not even
close to that stage yet," Bofferding said. "I think they'll find
that our workers won't stand for this."
Conte said the company would defend itself against any unfair
labor practices charges.
"We believe we have, throughout this process, bargained in good
faith and made every effort to address key union issues," he said.
SPEEA negotiators had sought more guaranteed pay raises and
bonuses similar to those received by the larger Machinists union.
Boeing has insisted on mostly selective pay increases, reductions
in life insurance benefits and some changes in health insurance.
The two sides met again late last week with C. Richard Barnes,
head of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, but the
talks once again fell apart over the weekend. Both sides accused
each other of being inflexible.
"We have made all the movement we're going to make," Conte
said. "We feel that the union's demands have only increased."
