How they did it: Boeing and union strike unexpected deal

Boeing Company and its union came to a tentative agreement this week in an unexpected move long before reaching their October deadline, and without steeping in tension.

Despite a past record of tense negotiations, strikes and threats of strikes, the recent development has left many to wonder: How did they do it?

"We essentially agreed to disagree on some items," said Ray Goforth, Executive Director of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), a union of Boeing employees.

"Agreeing to disagree," was at least one factor at play, Goforth said. What really paid off is a combination of things that began by both sides starting small.

"Both Boeing Company and SPEEA were gearing up for another round of contentious negotiations. We starting having small conversations with each other about how to solve problems," Goforth said. "We had a couple trial runs. Couple ideas worked a couple didn't work. Both sides came away with confidence that we could have conversations about even more sensitive subject."

"It organically flowed into a process where we decided that, although there are a number of issues that Boeing and SPEEA do not agree, we would not allow those disagreements to derail us from reaching an agreement where our interests were aligned," he said.

Another factor was a new perspective negotiators adopted.

"The new CEO of Boeing Company, (Dennis) Muilenburg, was certainly open to creative solutions and I know this wouldn't have happened if he hadn't been willing to be open to those creative solutions," Goforth noted.

"Some of the new personalities improved the situation," he said. "But a lot of the same personalities are looking at these problems with a different lens."

The agreement between the union and Boeing is tentative. SPEEA members still have to vote and approve or deny it. Ballots will go out soon to members. Those ballots are due by Feb. 10 and will be counted that night. If approved the six-year contract will go into effect the next day.

Goforth admits there are small, but vocal groups of members who are not happy with the deal - some, he said are unhappy but only misunderstand the deal, and others are genuinely unhappy with it. But that won't be an issue, Goforth said. Rather, he believes the deal will pass.

"The vast majority are still trying to understand it because we made a number of changes to the way this collective bargaining agreement works," Goforth said. "Some of which aren't necessarily intuitive. It takes some discussion. We got some people who are upset, but once we explained things, they turned around."

"I think the members are going to agree to this contract in heavy numbers," he said.

On point of contention, Goforth said, is the long-held concern of Boeing moving operations, and jobs, out of the Puget Sound region. He understands that, but the union has planned for it.

"There is nothing in this agreement that would prevent the Boeing Company from moving every single job out of the state if they choose to do so," Goforth said. "What we got at the table is a sincere commitment that if the company decides to move some work for their own business reasons, they will do everything possible to make sure nobody is laid off."

In the "unlikely event" that there are layoffs, Goforth said, employees will get a "supersized exit package" with a minimum of 26 weeks pay, a maximum of 66 months medical and dental.

"What we put in there is a barrier to moving work out of state, essentially a fine the company would have to pay the impacted members, but it's not a hard stop," Goforth said.

Source: My Northwest