Our union has agreed to Boeing’s request to pause negotiations on a new contract for our Wichita Technical & Professional Unit (WTPU).
Boeing asked for the delay today, citing complications related to the reunification of the newly re-acquired Spirit AeroSystems operation with the rest of the Boeing enterprise.
Talks will resume on Jan. 5.
WTPU negotiations team members said this evening they were frustrated by the lack of progress over the past week, particularly Boeing’s lack of response to the thoughtful and intentional proposal they submitted last week.
The Boeing negotiators clearly weren’t ready to start talks last week, said WTPU Negotiaions Team Chairman James Hatfield. “I find their lack of preparation disturbing,” he said.
“These bargaining sessions and the reunification itself have been on management’s calendars for the better part of a year,” team member Wes Gardner added. “I’m incredibly pissed off by this demonstrated lack of respect.”
It doesn’t appear that the Boeing negotiators at the table actually have authority to make a deal, our WTPU team members added.
“We’re being told to ignore the man behind the curtain,” said team member Patti Brinkmeyer.
“Why aren’t the right decision-makers in the room with us?” added team member Emily Forest.
Rich Plunkett, the spokesman for the negotiation team, said all of our union’s members and allies should be paying attention to what’s happening during the WTPU negotiations.
“As we look ahead to next year’s contract talks for our Northwest Prof and Tech bargaining units,” he said, “these WTPU negotiations are giving us a preview of what we can expect from the people we will be negotiating with.”