Boeing -- SPEEA: Gaining Members by the Thousands, SPEEA Could be the Fastest Growing Labor Union in the Country.

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 26, 1999--

The Boeing Company's recent attempt to strong-arm its technical workers is backfiring on management, resulting in a boom for the workers' labor union.

In less than two weeks, more than 2,600 Boeing employees here and in Wichita, Kan., have joined the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA). Since August when the union starting preparing for a new round of contract talks, union ranks have increased by more than 37 percent, adding 3,435 new dues paying members.

"The company doesn't want to negotiate with its technical workers, they want to dictate," said Charles Bofferding, executive director of SPEEA. "Employees are realizing they must stand together if they are going to change things. That's what's happening."

SPEEA, Boeing's second largest union, represents 23,000 engineers and other technical workers at Boeing. Six months ago, only about 9,600 of the represented employees were dues paying members. Today, the number of dues paying members is rapidly approaching 14,000.

While union officials are ecstatic, the membership increase is taxing SPEEA's internal systems. Union employees work overtime to process the flood of dues authorization cards that continually arrive by mail, fax machine, and delivery. A new fax machine was installed this week after the former model broke down. As shifts end at Boeing, employees show up at SPEEA offices in Everett, Tukwila and in Wichita with cards in hand.

"This is the first time we've ever had people working overtime to process new member applications," said Kay Larsson, executive secretary.

The surge went supersonic after union officials recommended members in the Pacific Northwest reject the company's "best and final" offer. The workers could be without a contract on Dec. 1. In Wichita, Boeing told union officials last week that company negotiators would be "unavailable" and they could not resume main table talks until Nov. 29. That contract expires Dec. 5. In the seven days since the company stalled the talks, the Wichita unit gained 102 new members -- an increase of 22 percent.

"The message from the company is clear -- The Boeing Company does not respect the people who have designed every product and every change for the past 55 years," Bofferding said. "Our message to management is also clear -- technical workers will not stand by silently and watch as Boeing becomes a second-rate company."

After dominating airliner sales for decades, Boeing has been outsold 2 to 1 this year by European Airbus Industries. Boeing's own internal surveys show morale is at an all-time low and still sliding. Facing salaries that are below market level for similar work at other companies, many of the company's engineers and technical workers are leaving Boeing for higher salaries and better benefits elsewhere.

In the wake of these concerns, Boeing's recent contract proposal outlined benefit take-a ways that have the potential of stripping thousands of dollars from workers' paychecks.

The company's offer requires 10 percent medical premiums beginning Jan. 1, 2001; strips medical benefits for new employees who may retire early, and allows the company to mandate weekend work without overtime pay. While wage increases are included, union officials said none of the money is guaranteed for engineers.

"This is an insult," Bofferding said. "Take-a ways are pay cuts. It's that simple."

Missing from the company offer is a bonus. Bofferding said this was particularly insulting.

"Executives at Boeing got bonuses. Machinists got a 10 percent bonus. We got 10 percent medical premiums. Why won't the company give a bonus to technical workers?" Bofferding asked.

While not a final offer, the Wichita package is shaping up to be a clone of the offer to workers in the Pacific Northwest.

SPEEA President Craig Buckam said the real issues go beyond those addressed in the contract.

"The company is really telling employees we are a cost to be cut," Buckam said. "That shows how they are thinking short-term. Our hope, as employees of this company, is to focus on the long-term success of Boeing. Long-term success requires good people. It's hard to keep good people with these tactics."

Bofferding said employees are doing more than making a statement. They are rallying to save Boeing from itself.

"This is a wake-up call for every Boeing worker," Bofferding said. "Our advice is simple. If people have a union they need to join it. If they don't have a union they need to form one."