Boeing -- SPEEA: Talks Held Before Top Federal Mediator; SPEEA Continues Strike Preparations.

News Desks/Business Editors

RENTON, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 7, 2000

The nation's top federal mediator brought negotiators for The Boeing Company and its second largest labor union together today.

While hopeful the presence of C. Richard Barnes, director of Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services, would prompt Boeing negotiators to improve its offer, members of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) continued to plan for a strike.

Talks started on schedule, shortly after 1 p.m. Barnes brought both sides together to issue ground rules for he meeting. He then met separately with each side throughout the remainder of the session. The session ended at about 6:45 p.m. Both sides are expected back at the table at 10 a.m. Tuesday (Feb. 8).

Meanwhile, impromptu demonstrations occurred through Boeing complexes on Monday. Nearly 1,000 workers marched at noon in Everett. This occurred after company officials warned the union that marchers would be disciplined. Security guards reportedly video taped the workers as they marched, clapped and chanted during their lunch period.

About 400 to 600 workers marched and picketed the Customer Service Center near the Museum of Flight. Scores of other impromptu demonstrations were reported taking place at Boeing facilities in Tukwila, Kent and Renton.

&uot;These efforts show the broad base of support SPEEA has in the workplace,&uot; said Charles Bofferding, executive director of SPEEA. &uot;It's not just SPEEA members anymore. This is for all Boeing workers.&uot;

At SPEEA headquarters, union officials were busy establishing picket schedules and distributing instructions to picket line captains. If negotiations breakdown without a settlement, union negotiators could call for a strike as early as Wednesday (Feb. 9).

&uot;We're giving this mediation process our best shot,&uot; said Craig Buckam, president of SPEEA. &uot;We're hoping for the best, but staying prepared for the worst.&uot;

Union membership continues to climb, with about 150 employees signing on as dues paying members during the first week of February. Overall membership now stands at 63 percent of the bargaining units. In August, only 42 percent of the workers in the bargaining units were dues paying union members.

SPEEA represents 22,200 engineers and other technical workers in the Puget Sound region, Wichita, Kansas; California, Florida, Oregon, Texas and Utah.

&uot;We are prepared for a long campaign,&uot; said Bofferding. &uot;This is not just a fight for SPEEA. This is a fight for every person who has built a career and a life at Boeing. We're going to stick together and win.&uot;