Advertising

The Seattle Times Company

NWjobs | NWautos | NWhomes | NWsource | Free Classifieds | seattletimes.com

The Seattle Times

Business / Technology


Our network sites seattletimes.com | Advanced

Originally published October 21, 2008 at 12:00 AM | Page modified October 21, 2008 at 11:43 AM

Comments (0)     E-mail article     Print view

Boeing, Machinists will meet with mediators Thursday

Boeing and the Machinists union will resume talks in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, which will be day 48 of the ongoing strike.

Seattle Times aerospace reporter

Boeing and the Machinists union will resume talks in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, which will be day 48 of the strike.

Arthur Rosenfeld, director of the U.S. Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), announced Monday the agency had notified negotiators on both sides that "he wants the parties to reconvene negotiations under the auspices of the FMCS in the nation's capital."

Rosenfeld called the strike by the International Association of Machinists (IAM) "a priority matter for this agency."

Mark Blondin, the union's aerospace coordinator, said he didn't know what development might have spurred the mediator to recall the parties.

In the past week, Blondin said, he had no meetings with Boeing and only three brief conversations with the mediator.

"I don't want to give anyone any false hope and I don't want to crush optimism either," he said.

The strike, which began Sept. 6, has idled more than 27,000 Machinists and halted production of jetliners.

Talks resumed briefly Oct. 12 but reached an impasse the next day. Negotiators didn't get past an outsourcing issue to other areas of disagreement — including pay.

Those talks, also brokered by the FMCS, deadlocked over outsourcing the jobs of members who deliver parts to assembly lines.

In those talks, Boeing agreed not to lay off the roughly 2,000 Machinists who currently do that work, despite a long-term plan to introduce automation and participation by outside vendors that would reduce the Machinists doing that job over time.

An IAM statement posted Monday afternoon on the union Web site told members the strike will continue: "We hope this marks a major step forward to resolve this strike. It is important as we move forward that we continue to stay strong on the picket lines."

Dominic Gates: 206-464-2963

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company

More Business & Technology headlines...

E-mail article Print view      Share:    Digg     Newsvine

Comments
No comments have been posted to this article.

advertising

An 802.11n upgrade could make a big difference

Retailers opening doors on Thanksgiving Day

Google makes concessions on digital book deal

Critics want to block Comcast-NBC deal

Google submits revised book settlement

Advertising

Video

Opening day at Crystal Mountain
Skiers crowded the slopes at Crystal Mountain for one of the resort's earliest openings.

Video shows violent arrest by SPD
Fort Lewis Memorial
Highlights: Ken Auletta talks about "Googled"
Seattle International Cabaret Festival
Ken Auletta talks about "Googled"
Medal of Honor
Pelosi answers questions at Swedish Medical Center
Pelosi speaks at Swedish Medical Center
"Pistol" Pete Ryan

Marketplace

nwautos

2009's most fuel-efficient sedansnew
Choosing a new sedan? Weigh the impact of your choice on your wallet and on the planet.
Post a comment

Open Houses

Find this weekend's open house listings.
Or search by location:

 
Most read
Most commented
Most e-mailed
 
 
Advertising