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Boeing, SPEEA talks continue with little progress reported

By DEAN RADFORD
Renton Reporter Editor
January 11, 2013 · 9:38 AM

Mediated contract negotiations continued Friday morning between Boeing and the  engineers and technical workers union, which reported little progress Thursday.

The negotiations resumed Wednesday after a weeks-long break called for by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS).

In October, engineers with the Tukwila-based Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), IFPTE Local 2001 rejected Boeing’s initial offer by 95.5 percent and technical workers rejected the offer by 97 percent.

The contract talks started last April; existing contracts expired Nov. 25.

The possibility of a strike looms over the contract talks; any vote on a contract offer would also include a second vote to authorize a strike, according to union officers.

The two negotiating teams are meeting at a hotel in SeaTac.

IFPTE President Greg Junemann visited the teams at the hotel and then attended Thursday's SPEEA Council meeting to reiterate the support of the international union, according to SPEEA spokesman Bill Dugovich.

Contact Renton Reporter Editor Dean Radford at editor@rentonreporter.com or 1-425-255-3484 (ext 5050).

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