Boeing's final offer may come as early as Sunday

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

By JAMES WALLACE
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER AEROSPACE REPORTER

With time running out on labor talks between The Boeing Co. and its largest union, both sides are exchanging specific proposals and negotiating on key economic issues such as pensions and health care that could determine whether there will be a strike.

The company has said it will make its final offer no later than Tuesday morning, Aug. 30. But a source from the Machinists union with some knowledge of the secret talks said Boeing's final offer may come sooner, perhaps by Sunday night. But the person also said it is impossible to predict what might happen in the final stages of the negotiations, which could affect the timing of Boeing's final offer to the union.

More than 18,000 Boeing employees represented by the International Association of Machinists, District 751 -- most of them working in the Renton and Everett factories -- will vote on the new three-year contract Sept. 1. The current contract ends at 12:01 a.m. the next day.

Unlike past contract negotiations, neither side is providing specifics this time about the various proposals and counterproposals.

"There are still no details," Connie Kelliher, spokeswoman for the local Machinists union, said Tuesday.

"We are still having good discussions," said Boeing spokesman Charles Bickers.

Boeing's chief negotiator is Jerry Calhoun, vice president of human resources for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. His counterpart at the table is Mark Blondin, District 751 president. Both have posted daily messages on their respective union and company Web sites. But the messages have been general in nature.

"We're getting close to concluding the discussions and the information exchange that leads to a full contract offer," Calhoun said in his posting late Monday night.

"Our plan is to present the union our best and final offer in time for it to be submitted to its members on or before Aug. 30."

He said the company is "pleased with the progress we have made on many important issues," and that the talks have been "respectful and productive."

Blondin, in a message also posted late Monday, said the benefits subcommittee's first session Monday morning focused on pensions, "emphasizing this is our top issue."

The subcommittee also looked at "health care providers and potential plans that may be offered," he said.

"Proposals are being traded, positions are clarified as negotiations move forward," Blondin wrote.

The two sides are meeting at the DoubleTree Hotel at Sea-Tac. Talks began June 10 and moved to the hotel for round-the-clock negotiations on Aug. 15.

More headlines and info from Everett, Renton, SeaTac.