SPEEA begins work-to-rules on 747-8

SPEEA, the Boeing engineers union, has begun a work-to-rules effort in Wichita (KS) on the 747-8 program intended to put pressure on the company as contract talks continue, we’ve learned. SPEEA also passed out 2,000 fliers at the wide-body plant at Everett (WA) Monday night preparing the engineers there for a work-to-rules program in support of Wichita if negotiations didn’t go well.

They aren’t: SPEEA issued the following press release moments ago:

Message to SPEEA-represented employees at Wichita Boeing
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Boeing reaffirms disappointing wage and benefit offer – Employment seminars planned

The Boeing Company presented a disappointing and disrespectful offer to WEU negotiators today. The offer showed virtually no movement from previous wage and benefit offers the company talked about in November.

“This is very unfortunate,” said Ray Goforth, SPEEA executive director. “The company is showing a clear lack of commitment to the future of Wichita IDS.”

The wage offer was contradicted by data recently distributed by Boeing to employees. The data, contained in a CNN news report, said engineers should receive 4.5% raise increases. The link to the article was removed from the Boeing negotiations page today after SPEEA pointed out it contradicted what the company presented during negotiations. Read the CNN article: A 3% raise this year? That’s all folks

SPEEA research shows that despite the economic downturn, the job market remains intact for experienced aerospace engineers. Spirit AeroSystems, Airbus and even Cessna are hiring engineers. Given Boeing’s apparent lack of support for Wichita engineering, SPEEA will start providing seminars to help Boeing engineers find employment elsewhere in the aerospace industry. With many employees nearing retirement age, moving to another firm can have significant financial benefits for individuals.

(More after the jump.)

First meaningful 787s cancellations coming

Look for the first meaningful Boeing 787 cancellations to appear, perhaps as early as this month, due to delays and the economy.

By “meaningful” we mean more than the one from some obscure airline that has already occurred. And we are not talking about Delta/Northwest, which has been publicly hinted at by Delta.

The positions would revert to Boeing, which would not resell them but would absorb them to relieve–however slightly–the pressures on the delivery stream brought on by two years of delays.

In terms of financial impact to the 787 program, this particular cancellation isn’t all that great–after all, there are 900+ orders. But there will be a cash-cost (compensation) to Boeing, we understand, because of the delays to the customer.