SPEEA council to meet Tuesday on sending contract, strike to a vote

By DEAN RADFORD
Renton Reporter Editor
January 21, 2013 · 4:54 PM

The Bargaining Unit Council of the union representing Boeing's engineers and technical workers will meet Tuesday to decide whether to formally issue ballots to vote on a company contract offer – and to authorize a strike.

The council also will vote on its recommendations to the membership.

First, the negotiation teams of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), IFPTE Local 2001, will present reports to the council. Those teams have already recommended rejecting Boeing's offer and are recommending that the council include the strike vote on the ballot.

Negotiations ended last week after each side presented its final and best offer.

SPEEA would mail the roughly 23,000 ballots next Monday; members would have 10 days to return the ballots, according to SPEEA spokesman Bill Dugovich. Ballot counting at SPEEA's Tukwila headquarters is tentatively set for Feb. 7.

"If strike authorization is granted, then there is seven-days wait before the teams could call members out to strike," Dugovich said.

A majority, plus one vote, is necessary for passage of the measures.

In October 96 percent of SPEEA members rejected Boeing's initial offer.

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

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