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SPEEA Everett renovation - limited operations

Access to the Everett office is limited the week of Nov. 12 due to heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and electrical renovations.

Everett Contract Administrators are working remotely and will be available by cell phone and email.

For urgent matters, contact Contract Administrator/Everett Site Coordinator Steve Spyridis at (425) 953-5687.

Family and Medical Leave Act
Overview on new Washington state law

Members may be wondering about the Washington state law regarding paid family and medical leave. Although the law will not affect union-represented employees until a contract is opened or re-negotiation, SPEEA is hosting after-work presentations to address questions.

Joe Kendo, government affairs director for the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC), AFL-CIO, will explain the intricacies of the new law, administered by the state Employment Security Department.

Family and Medical Leave Act overview

SPEEA Everett
Thursday, Nov. 29 - 5 p.m.

SPEEA Tukwila
Wednesday, Dec. 12 - 5 p.m.

To reserve a seat, email speea@speea.org. 
Boeing retirement plan changes in 2019

In 2019, be aware of changes for the Profs and Techs regarding negotiated retirement benefits.

Changes include:

  • Boeing Company Employee Retirement Plan (BCERP) soft freeze on credited service
  • 401(k) matching changes to standardize matching contributions to 75% of first 8%
  • Special Company Retirement Contribution to vary based on the most recent hire date
  • Supplemental Savings Plan available for those that may hit overall 415(c) IRS limits on 401(k) contributions.

The 2019 SPEEA retirement seminar schedule is now available online  (drop-down menu: Medical/Retirement). The schedule is also included in the November Spotlite. 
SPEEA/Boeing - Few changes for open enrollment in 2019
To prepare for the Boeing annual open enrollment from Nov. 6-27, SPEEA hosted after-hours meetings at the Puget Sound halls to cover contract benefit issues and questions. Jason Collette, SPEEA contract administrator and benefits coordinator, presented the information. In Tukwila, about 40 members attended Oct. 30. In Everett, nearly 60 signed up for the overview Nov. 1. Council Reps for the Prof and Tech units are hosting lunchtime meetings as well for members to learn more about their health plan options. Open enrollment is the only time for SPEEA-bargaining unit employees to make routine changes and take the online health assessment to avoid a non-compliance fee.


Open enrollment, the time period each year when employees can change their medical plans, is Nov. 6 - 27 at The Boeing Company. 

With fairly significant changes to the plan last year, open enrollment is your opportunity to review your selections and choose which plan provides the best coverage for you and your family.

When reviewing the annual open enrollment information from The Boeing Company, keep in mind:

  • Routine changes – This is the only time of the year you can make routine changes to your health care coverage. If you opt for a different plan, changes take effect Jan. 1, 2019. The good news is any change you make for this year is only locked in for a single year. If you’re unhappy with a selection you made for 2019, you can make a change for the following year during open enrollment for 2020
    .
  • Deadline for correcting mistakes – Even if you don’t change your benefits package, you will receive a confirmation letter in the mail. You have a limited amount of time to request a correction. Make sure your home address is correct in Boeing TotalAccess.

For full November Spotlite Article and Open enrollment lunchtime meetings
Helping Other People Excel
Pezzini HOPE award nominations due

SPEEA is seeking member nominations for the Stephen Pezzini Helping Other People Excel (HOPE) award.
This is to recognize a labor advocate who works tirelessly to help others within SPEEA and his/her community.

Nominations for this award are open to members in good standing from any SPEEA bargaining unit in Washington, Kansas, Oregon, Utah or California.

If you know a member like this, email terryh@speea.org by Thursday, Jan. 17. See the form (drop-down menu - Councils/Forms & Petitions).

Named for an inspiring Everett Council Rep who died of cancer at age 36 in 1995, Pezzini is remembered as a strong union activist, whose work made a difference for SPEEA members and his community.

Pezzini HOPE award committee
Members are encouraged to apply to review the nominations and recommend a selection for the 2019 Stephen Pezzini Helping Other People Excel (HOPE) award. If interested in serving on this committee, send your name and contact information to terryh@speea.org by Jan. 17.

This is one of SPEEA’s highest honors!

NW activist award nominations due
In addition to the Pezzini award nomination, which applies to all bargaining unit members, the Northwest Council seeks member nominations for the following awards:

  • New activist
  • Outstanding activist
  • Outstanding leader 
  • Lifetime achievement

To be eligible for an award, the member must live/work in Washington state, Oregon, California or Utah and be a member in good standing. See the nomination form. The deadline is Jan. 17.

SPEEA Executive Board
Gearing up for regional VP election
Members who are eligible and interested in serving on the SPEEA Executive Board will have an opportunity to run for regional vice president. New two-year terms start next spring.

SPEEA will post more election details, including a timeline and petition to run, at www.speea.org next month. Candidate petitions will be due at the end of January.

The seven-member board includes three officers and four regional vice presidents who all serve two-year terms. Three Northwest vice presidents and one Midwest vice president are elected every odd year.

The Executive Board typically meets twice a month to oversee SPEEA activities and monitor expenses. Board members also serve as the team for any interim negotiations that may occur between formal bargaining sessions.

For those who want to see more of what the Executive Board does, a record of their actions is reported in the SPEEA Newsletter, online (drop-down menu: Communications/SPEEA Newsletter).
Spirit AeroSystems
Temporary overtime increase for non-exempt WTPU

WICHITA - SPEEA recently worked with Spirit AeroSystems to extend an overtime incentive to non-exempt represented employees. The incentive is two times the base rate of pay (instead of time and a half) for any hours in excess of 40 hours per week.

Spirit initially offered the OT incentive to the machinists due to backlog. SPEEA Midwest Director BJ Moore initiated conversations with Spirit leadership to include the WTPU non-exempt.

More than 700 are eligible in the Wichita Technical and Professional Unit (WTPU) for the double time for overtime through Tuesday, Oct. 30. The OT rate increase started Sept. 1.

Moore noted SPEEA is in discussion with Spirit regarding exempt SPEEA-represented employees. This includes the Wichita Engineering Unit (WEU) and some in the WTPU who are exempt because of their job code and/or skill level.

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No impact on SPEEA
Janus decision hits federal, state, city unions

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate mandatory union fees for government employees effectively makes all government jobs a “right-to-work” job – meaning employees must voluntarily decide to join the union and pay their fair share.

While potentially devastating to government unions, this decision has NO impact on any SPEEA member. The Boeing Company, Spirit AeroSystems and Triumph Composite Systems are private employers and are not covered by this Supreme Court decision.

It does, however, impact many of our fellow local unions in the IFPTE that represent employees in the public sector. 

“We stand with our fellow IFPTE Locals in our firm belief that this ruling is wrong,” said Joel Funfar, SPEEA president. “It is an attack on workers and labor unions.”

The decision also has no effect on the requirement that all government employees in a bargaining unit receive the same representation, regardless if they are full, dues-paying members or pay nothing to the union.

Supreme Court deals big setback to labor unions
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that government workers can't be forced to contribute to labor unions.

Read the AP Article here

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Eligibility extended two years
Trade Act Assistance available for laid-off Boeing workers

Workers laid-off by The Boeing Company in Washington state through August 9, 2019, are eligible to apply for training, income support, and other benefits through the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance program (TAA or "Trade Act").

The eligibility dates were recently extended an additional two years as a result of a petition to the U.S. Labor Department by the International Association of Machinists (IAM), District 751 in partnership with SPEEA, IFPTE Local 2001. 

Laid-off workers will receive a letter detailing the benefits steps to apply for assistance.

Since Washington state extended the aerospace tax preferences (tax breaks) in November, 2013 to Boeing and the aerospace industry with the agreed intent to “maintain and grow Washington’s aerospace workforce” more than 3,500 SPEEA-represented employees have been laid off by the company. The most recent figures from July show that overall Boeing has shed 15,828 jobs from its Washington state workforce since the tax breaks were extended.

Additional information to help members facing layoff is available on the following SPEEA web pages:

Trade Act Benefits Overview     Layoff information Jobs for aerospace workers

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Ed Wells Partnership: A SPEEA-Boeing contract benefit
Resume and job-search workshops available
Ed Wells Partnership (EWP) recently added a number of resume and job-search workshops to its list of offerings. The workshops provide information about how to be successful searching for new jobs within Boeing.

Complete information and registration is available on the Boeing intranet http://edwells.web.boeing.com/TransitionResources/.
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