Tue, Dec 07, 2010
Union Says It Is Ready To Help Return To Engineering
Excellence
The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace
(SPEEA), IFPTE Local 2001 says the latest 787 delay is an
opportunity for The Boeing Company to reevaluate its outsourcing
strategy and return to the engineering roots that the union says
built past success.
The SPEEA Executive Board late last week unanimously urged
Boeing leaders to use the delay to completely evaluate parts coming
from suppliers and where appropriate, bring back work that is
better performed by Boeing employees. “The outsourcing model
has not worked,” said Tom McCarty, SPEEA president.
“Recently, we’ve seen a few indications the company
wants to reemphasize engineering. SPEEA members have the ability
and experience to turn things around and protect the Boeing
reputation.”
Nearly three years behind schedule, SPEEA contends that
outsourced work on the 787 is at the root of delays. A fire in an
electrical panel produced by Hamilton Sundstrand is causing the
seventh delay for first delivery. While the length of the latest
delay is not yet known, union leaders said this provides an
opportunity to identify other aspects of the program that would be
done better in house.
File Photo
In July 2009, problems at Vought resulted in Boeing taking over
its plant in North Charleston, SC. Later that year, Boeing bought
out Italian supplier Alenia and took control of Global Aeronautica
in North Charleston.
“We wholeheartedly agree with (president of Boeing
Commercial Airplanes) Jim Albaugh’s efforts to return to
engineering excellence,” said Ray Goforth, SPEEA executive
director. “Our members look forward to continued
improvements.”
Boeing recently announced plans to hire contract pilots to do
some customer training and airplane delivery duties of its own
airplane manufacturing pilots. The move will have non-Boeing pilots
training the pilots of customers. The Boeing pilots recently voted
to come into SPEEA as a new bargaining unit. “The rest of
Boeing is busy reversing their 787 outsourcing mistakes,”
said Goforth. “It’s bewildering to see Boeing risking
its reputation yet again by laying off their own experienced pilots
and replacing them with temps. We hope the company reconsiders this
decision.”
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