Union Hopping Mad Over Boeing Positions
SPEEA, IFPTE Local 2001, tells ANN
that 'The Boeing Company’s public acknowledgement that
outsourcing is causing problems with the 787 program is lip service
until action is taken to correct problems created by a global
network of suppliers and inexperienced workers.'
According to statements issued by officials at SPEEA and other
unions, including the International Aerospace Machinists (IAM),
they have repeatedly warned the aerospace giant that 'it was a
mistake to part out highly complex aerospace products to
inexperienced workers around the world. More than one year after a
ceremonial “roll out” of a 787 shell, the same aircraft
remains in the factory incomplete and missing parts from
suppliers.'
“Continued statements that everything is fine with the 787
global supply network just don’t fly,” said Ray
Goforth, executive director of SPEEA.
Last week, the company announced plans to place full-time Boeing
inspectors at key suppliers to reduce flaws and maintain quality.
The announcement, reported in the general media, said Boeing will
first target about one dozen problem companies.
SPEEA’s Goforth said more inspections at suppliers
escalates cost and avoid the real problem – Boeing’s
great experiment to outsource large parts of the engineering and
manufacturing of the next major leap in air travel failed.
“It’s time for Boeing to stop the lip service and
take real action,” Goforth said. “Face the fact that
the global network is a failure and bring the critical work back so
the experienced employees can get the 787 back on track.”
Boeing’s original plan for the 787 called for the first
flight in August 2007 and SPEEA notes that by now, large sections
were expected to be arriving complete in Everett. The goal was to
snap the large parts together in as little as three days. Instead,
the program is 18 months behind schedule with no firm date for a
first flight. Earlier this month, Azerbaijan Airlines became the
first airline to cancel a 787 order.
The union opines that 'Boeing needs more than paid advertising
and internal campaigns to regain the trust of customers and
employees. The most recent Rittenhouse Ranking Survey of corporate
candor ranked Boeing 98th, six spots below Exxon Mobil. The annual
survey evaluated 100 Fortune 500 companies and CEOs for fair, open
and sincere communications.'
Additional SPEEA Statements
Facing a strike by the IAM and preparing to open contract talks
with SPEEA in October, Boeing last week launched a radio
advertising campaign in the Puget Sound region aimed at convincing
employees and the public of its good intentions. The advertising
bolsters an intense internal workplace campaign aimed at employees
and their managers.
“Instead of thanking and rewarding employees for
correcting the errors of suppliers and management, Boeing is
banking profits and shifting costs onto employees,” Goforth
said.
On October 28, SPEEA begins main table negotiations with Boeing
for 21,000 employees in Washington, Kansas, Oregon, Utah and
California. Negotiations begin in May for 700 engineers at Spirit
AeroSystems, Inc. in Wichita, Kan.