June 24, 2011

June 24, 2011 / No. 2133
Representing aerospace professionals with competence, integrity and action
Negotiations
under way for
WTPU
W
SPEEA-IFPTE Local 2001 at Paris Air Show
European Aerospace Correspondent Class Tatje, right, interviewed SPEEA President Tom McCarty, left and
International Association of Machinists (IAM) District 751 President Tom Wroblewski at the Paris Air Show
June 20. Tatje works for the German newspaper Die Zeit and was working on a story about the efforts to get the
787 delivered.
ICHITA – Main Table negotiations for the Wichita
Technical and Professional
Unit (WTPU) at Spirit AeroSystems
began June 20.
In opening remarks, SPEEA Midwest
Director Bob Brewer and Spirit
AeroSystems Director of Labor Relations
Adam Pogue both reiterated the teams’
desire to come to an agreement that
meets both Spirit’s business interests and
the economic needs of the employees
(and their families) represented by the
contract.
When the SPEEA team lifts an offer
and the team and bargaining unit council decide whether to recommend it,
SPEEA will post the contract offer
online. The team will participate in
lunchtime meetings to answer questions
during a 10-day period prior to a vote
by members.
For updates, see www.speea.org.
Shown left: Council Reps and Executive Board members
from the Northwest and Midwest at the SPEEA convention/conference.
Convention/conference
Focus on training: ‘Our members deserve the best’
S
EATTLE – During the annual leadership conference, June 11, Council
Reps participated in workshops ranging from communicating in the workplace,
to national labor issues, Council Rep rights
and grievance handling.
“Our members deserve the best trained
workplace representatives in our industry,”
said Ron Mathes, chair of the Leadership
Development and Training Committee,
which organizes the conference with staff.
Lilly Ledbetter, who championed pay
equity through the Supreme Court and
Congress, gave the keynote address at the
New way to
negotiate – P2
Shown above: SPEEA Executive Director Ray
Goforth discusses a new approach to negotiations
(see article page 2).
conference, following a speech by SPEEA
Executive Director Ray Goforth introducing an innovative approach to negotiations
with The Boeing Company (see article –
page 2). IFPTE International President
Greg Junemann also addressed the SPEEA
leaders, emphasizing the conference theme
of ‘Strength in Unity.’
During the SPEEA Council meeting
June 10, the Council Reps re-elected Joel
Funfar, Plant II, Seattle, as Council chair,
and elected Matthew Joyce, Wichita, as
treasurer, and Theryl Johnson, Kent, as
secretary. They also
Continued on page 4
Midwest member
events– P3
AR drawing
winners – P4
Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) Local 2001, AFL-CIO, CLC • www.speea.org
2 • SPEEA NEWS / June 24, 2011 / No. 2133
SPEEA executive director
proposes new way to
negotiate union contracts
S
E AT T L E
–
Recognizing the
need to avoid disruption to airplane production, SPEEA-IFPTE
Local 2001 Executive
Director Ray Goforth
is proposing the two
sides consider using
Ray Goforth
binding binary interest
arbitration to resolve fiscal differences during the next round of contract talks.
Goforth outlined his proposal June 11 in
his comments to the SPEEA Council during the 2011 Leadership Conference at the
SeaTac Hilton Hotel.
In binding binary interest arbitration, the
union and company create negotiation
rules that submit any fiscal disputes to an
independent arbitrator who, like a judge,
decides the issue. The dispute is reduced
to fact-and-data-driven arguments. The
arbitrator’s decision is final. Agreement to
the proposal eliminates the possibility of a
strike or lockout.
Boeing officials said they are “encouraged”
by the proposal. Detailed discussions are
needed before the proposal would be ready
for formal consideration.
Existing SPEEA contracts with Boeing
expire Dec. 2, 2011 for 600 engineers
in Wichita and Oct. 6, 2012 for 21,000
engineers and technical workers across the
western United States.
For the full text of Goforth’s speech, go to
www.speea.org.
June Diversity Notes
T
his month’s diversity celebration
is PRIDE. The
PRIDE movement began
after the 1969 New York
“Stonewall Riots.”
Kathy Eyth
Related SPEEA history
In 1997, an after-hours activity group,
Boeing Association of Gay, Lesbian, Bi,
Transgender Employees and Friends
(BEAGLES), approached Boeing to discuss
GLBT issues. After Boeing declined working with the activity group, BEAGLES
approached SPEEA to charter a team
addressing diversity.
In 1998, the SPEEA Council chartered
the Employee Diversity Team. The SPEEA
team worked together with BEAGLES and
Boeing Employee Association for Sexual
Minorities (BEASM) and the Boeing People
Organization to coordinate the guidelines
for the first implementation of health benefits for same-sex domestic partners.
During 2001, the SPEEA committee was
re-chartered as a Northwest Committee to
concentrate their activities around Puget
Sound negotiations and organizing to pres-
Tom McCarty
Executive Director
Ray Goforth
Executive Board
Jimmie Mathis
Bill Hartig
Michael E. Hochberg
Ryan Rule
Ron A. Shoemaker
Earl Carter
Treasurer
Secretary
NW Regional VP
NW Regional VP
NW Regional VP
MW Regional VP
SPEEA Council Officers*
Joel Funfar
R Matthew Joyce
Theryl Johnson
Chair
Treasurer
Secretary
Midwest Regional Council Officers
SPEEA has history of
supporting diversity
By Kathy Eyth
SPEEA Everett Council Rep
President
sure Boeing to offer domestic partner benefits. The work of the committee significantly
helped move Boeing to cover domestic partner benefits in the 2002-2005 Boeing Prof
and Tech contracts. Following this success,
they determined their specific tasks complete and disbanded.
Interested in helping?
The SPEEA Diversity Committee restarted
after the October SPEEA Council meeting.
This committee is seeking all interested in
improving understanding and employment
conditions for all persons, and also addressing issues which can lead to discrimination
and harassment.
Interested in learning more? Check out the
link from the Diversity Committee web
page (See www.speea.org – SPEEA committees – link to Diversity).
CPI – May
T
he U.S. City Average all-items
Consumer Price Index (CPI) for
urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W) on a 1982-84=100 base for
May is 222.9. On a 1967=100 base, the May
index is 664.1. This is a 0.5% increase from
April, and a 4.1% increase from May 2010.
Debbie Logsdon
R Matthew Joyce
Brenda Reiling
Chair
Treasurer
Secretary
Northwest Regional Council Officers
Dave Silkroski
Carrie Rule
Rebekah Hewitt
Chair
Treasurer
Secretary
SPEEA Publications
Bill Dugovich
Lori Dupuis
Rich Kremnetz
Karen McLean
Communications Director
Graphic Designer
Printing/Mail Manager
Publications Editor
[email protected]
www.speea.org
SEATTLE HALL
15205 52nd Ave S • Seattle, WA 98188
M-Th, 8 am to 5 pm • Fri, 8 am to 4:30 pm
Phone: (206) 433-0991
EVERETT HALL
2414 106th St. SW
Everett, WA 98204
M-F, 8 am to 4:30 pm
Phone: (425) 355-2883
WICHITA HALL
973 S Glendale St • Wichita, KS 67218
M-Th, 8:30 am to 5 pm • Fri, 8 am to 4:30 pm
Phone: (316) 682-0262
* New officers elected at June 10 Council Meeting
SPEEA NEWS / June 24, 2011 / No. 2133
Looking for
members
S
PEEA members have several opportunities to get more involved (see
below). For more details, including
how to apply, see the July SPEEA Spotlite.
Joint Workforce Committee (JWC)
SPEEA has two openings for members on
the Joint Workforce Committee (JWC)
with The Boeing Company. The time
commitment typically involves three to
five hours per month. Deadline to apply is
Friday, July 29.
Labor Council delegates
Interested in learning more about the
labor community in your county or state?
Consider applying for your local labor council. Deadline to apply is Monday, Aug. 1.
SPEEA-IFPTE vice president
SPEEA needs to fill an interim vacancy
for vice president on the IFPTE Executive
Council. If you have been a member
for the past two years and have demonstrated leadership in the union, you may
be eligible to apply. Petition deadline is
Wednesday, Aug. 3.
SPEEA Council
actions – June 10
At their regular (quarterly) meeting, the
SPEEA Council:
•
Elected Council officers: Joel Funfar
(chair), Matthew Joyce (treasurer),
Theryl Johnson (secretary).
•
Presented the Stephen Pezzini Helping
Other People Excel (HOPE) award to
Henry Zebroski, an Everett engineer.
•
Heard an update on the Field Service
Representatives (FSR) organizing
effort and recognized the members
who helped support the effort.
•
Voted on presubmitted new business:
o M11-022 - Support legislation to
develop a national manufacturing
strategy for the United States. For:
80, Against: 8, Abstain: 1.
o M11-023 – Approve proposed revision of SPEEA Bylaws section 14.2
– Processing (Referendums and
Constitutional Amendments). For:
75, Against: 13, Abstain: 1.
o M11-024 – Approve submitting
the proposed constitution to a
referendum vote by the members.
Motion to refer back to committee passed. For: 59, Against: 24,
Abstain: 1.
•3
UPCOMING
MIDWEST
member events TRAINING/EVENTS
Enjoy dinner and a show
for half-price at Mosley
Street Melodrama
WICHITA – On Saturday, July 9, members and their families can have a laugh
at “Desperate Housewives of Sedgwick
County” at the Mosley Street Melodrama
theatre, with a buffet dinner included.
Members can purchase tickets from the
Wichita SPEEA office by Wednesday, July
6, for the discount price of $13.50 each.
Doors open at 6 p.m., with dinner served
from 6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and the show
begins at 7:50 p.m.
This event is sponsored by the Midwest
Membership Activities Committee (MAC).
(See online calendar for details – remember to RSVP)
Puget Sound
SPEEA 101
Wednesday, June 29
SPEEA Everett, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 30
SPEEA Seattle, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Grievance Handling
Monday, July 11
SPEEA Seattle, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 27
SPEEA Everett, from 4:30 – 6 p.m.
Boeing retirement
process overview
All-member meeting
offers inside look at
Kansas politics
WICHITA – Get an insider’s look at
the 2011 Kansas legislative session at the
upcoming all-member meeting, Monday,
July 11, sponsored by the Midwest
Legislative and Public Affairs (L&PA)
Committee. A free dinner is included.
Kansas State Rep. Jim Ward (D-88th) and
Sen. Jean Schodorf (R-25th) will share
their perspective on the recently concluded
legislative session.
All-member L&PA meeting
Monday, July 11, at 5 p.m.
Furrs Cafeteria, 1606 S. Georgetown St.
RSVP to Vicki McKenna, 682-0262 or
email [email protected].
Seeking volunteers
at Paine Field
Restoration Center
E
VERETT – The Museum of Flight
is seeking summer volunteers to lead
tours of the Restoration Center at
Paine Field, home to about 30 fascinating
aircraft in various stages of restoration.
Volunteers need no prior experience; the
museum will provide training and reference materials. The center is open Tuesday
through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Volunteers are asked to work a four-hour
shift every other week.
If you are interested in volunteering, please
contact Sheree Van Berg at (425) 7455150 or [email protected].
Wednesday, July 13
SPEEA Everett, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Wichita
Mosley Street Melodrama
Saturday, July 9
Get your discount tickets at the SPEEA Wichita office.
L&PA all-member meeting
5 p.m., Monday, July 11
Furrs Cafeteria
PM training
L
earn tips for making the most of
the interim review, with a focus on
how performance management connects to retention ratings and raises, at a
lunchtime training session with SPEEA
Contract Administrator Steve Spyridis.
Council Reps can schedule by sending an
email to Spyridis: [email protected].
Boeing layoff
notices – June 17
O
n June 17, The Boeing Company
issued 60-day notices of layoff
(effective Aug. 19) to nine SPEEArepresented engineers in Boeing Defense
Systems (BDS) in Washington state.
SPEEA will continue to monitor the layoff
activities and support those who receive
notices. The next 60-day notices of layoff
were expected July 22.
4 • SPEEA NEWS / June 24, 2011 / No. 2133
AR drawing
winners
Focus on training: ‘Our
members deserve the best’
Continued from page 1
Congratulations to Area Reps Gary
Stegman (Wichita, N-3) and Gerald West
(Bellevue/Issaquah, B-10). They are the
latest winners of a SPEEA thumb drive in
the weekly drawing open to all those who
sign up for two-year terms for Area Rep
by the July 14 deadline. All winners are
posted online at www.speea.org.
Area Reps provide a vital communication link
between Council Reps and smaller groups of
members in the workplace. Responsibilities
include assisting with the distribution of
union news, communicating with members
and relaying feedback to Council Reps, and
greeting new hires. You can become an Area
Rep or sign up for another two-year term by
talking to your Council Rep.
recognized Henry Zebroski, a longstanding SPEEA member and Everett engineer,
who is this year’s Stephen Pezzini Helping
Other People Excel (HOPE) award recipient.
At new Council Rep training June 9, staff
reviewed CR responsibilities and how the
union can help.
Sign up for
home email at
www.speea.org
Zoo day winner
Congratulations to Ben McKinnie, (shown above) a
SPEEA Wichita member at Spirit AeroSystems, who
won the drawing for a Dillons gift card, part of the
SPEEA Family Day at the Zoo. About 70 members
and their families took part in the event hosted by the
Midwest Membership Activities Committee (MAC) at
the Sedgwick County Zoo June 18.
Executive Board mini-minutes – June 9
Attendees: Tom McCarty, Jimmie Mathis,
Ryan Rule, Mike Hochberg, Ron Shoemaker,
Bill Hartig, Earl Carter
Council officers: Joel Funfar, Matthew Joyce
Guests: David Whitley (Council Rep,
Irving, Texas), Greg Junemann (IFPTE
International president)
Staff: Ray Goforth, Robin Fleming,
Pauline Tamblyn, Steve Spyridis, Martin
Pascual, Frank Guglielmo, Bob Rommel
At their meeting, the Board:
• Approved the financial policy for the
general, building, negotiations and
organizing funds.
• Authorized a recognition event to occur
after work for Alan Rice, who recently stepped down as Council Rep and
IFPTE vice president to accept a transfer out of the bargaining unit.
• Approved supporting an IFPTE
expansion effort during June that
included approving airfare and expenses for SPEEA President Tom McCarty
and NW Regional Vice President
Ryan Rule.
• Approved the use of the SPEEA
Tukwila hall for the June 18 meeting of the Washington State Jobs
with Justice Steering Committee. The
Board waived SPEEA Executive Board
Policy and Procedure section 5.1(H)
requiring the facility to be scheduled
at least one month in advance.
• Authorized hiring an intern to help
with creating a salary data base in lieu
of a legal intern.
• Approved putting the SPEEA contracts on a CD in order to meet the
immediate need of new members.
UPCOMING MEETING SCHEDULES
NORTHWEST MEETINGS
Monday, June 27
Tuesday, June 28
Tuesday, June 28
(ALL TIMES PST)
Week of June 27, 2011
5:00 p.m.
NW Legislative & Public Affairs
4:00 p.m.
SPEEA Governing Documents Subcommittee
5:00 p.m.
Women’s Advocacy Committee
Tuesday, July 5
Tuesday, July 5
Wednesday, July 6
Wednesday, July 6
Thursday, July 7
Week of July 4, 2011
4:00 p.m.
SPEEA Governing Documents Subcommittee
4:00 p.m.
Council Officers
4:30 p.m.
ACT Committee
5:00 p.m.
Health & Wellness
4:00 p.m.
Executive Board
Monday July 11
Tuesday, July 12
Tuesday, July 12
Tuesday, July 12
Tuesday, July 12
Wednesday, July 13
Thursday, July 14
Week of July 11, 2011
5:00 p.m.
New Hire Committee
4:00 p.m.
SPEEA Governing Documents Subcommittee
4:30 p.m.
History Committee
5:00 p.m.
Leadership Development & Training
5:30 p.m.
Tellers Committee
5:00 p.m.
Membership Activities Committee
5:00 p.m.
Council Meeting
MIDWEST MEETINGS
(ALL TIMES CST)
Tuesday, June 28
Week of June 27, 2011
6:00 p.m.
SPEEA Governing Documents Subcommittee
Tuesday, July 5
Thursday, July 7
Thursday, July 7
Week of July 4 , 2011
6:00 p.m.
SPEEA Governing Documents Subcommittee
4:30 p.m.
MW Membership Activities Committee
6:00 p.m.
Executive Board
Monday July 11
Tuesday, July 12
Thursday, July 14
Thursday, July 14
Week of July 11, 2011
5:00 p.m.
MW Membership Recruitment
6:00 p.m.
SPEEA Governing Documents Subcommittee
11:00 a.m. MW Young Professionals
4:30 p.m.
MW Council Meeting
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