News
SPEEA Votes Down Boeing Contract, But Votes Against Strike
The AP (3/6, Hegeman) reports, "Union members at Boeing Co.'s military aircraft plant in Kansas voted Thursday to reject a contract offer, but did not authorize a strike." SPEEA union officials had "urged" members before the vote to turn the contract down. "Boeing issued a statement saying the contract will continue to be its 'best and final' offer, but that the company was willing to discuss and clarify its provisions." The union vote also "included a provision that would allow the negotiating team to accept the company's offer - and that is probably what will happen, said Bob Brewer, SPEEA's Midwest director." The AP notes this comes during "mounting job losses" at Boeing, Bombardier Aerospace, Cessna Aircraft, and Hawker Beechcraft, which all have factories in Wichita. The Seattle Times (3/6, Gates) and the Wichita Business Journal (3/6, McCoy) also cover the story.
Boeing Orders Drop "Sharply" In February. The AP (3/5) reported, "Boeing Co.'s orders for freight and passenger jets fell sharply in February as the airplane maker faces slowing demand amid the global economic downturn." The company only "reported orders for just four planes last month, down from 125 during the same period last year, according to figures posted on its Web site Thursday. It delivered 36 jets compared with 39 in February 2008." According to the AP, "Still, the world's second-largest plane maker has maintained a record backlog of orders."
Boeing Secures More Orders. Bloomberg News (3/5, Ray) reported, "Boeing Co. won orders for three 777s last week, bringing aircraft bookings so far in 2009 to 22, or less than an eighth of the 190 total in the year-earlier period." This brings net losses to 10 planes for the year. Dow Jones Newswire (3/5, Cameron) reported Boeing also "avoided any more cancellations for its 787 and other models."
