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Boeing engineers may engage in a work slowdown, analyst says

Andrew W. Sieber
/
Flickr

An aviation analyst says some Boeing engineers and technical workers are preparing for a work slowdown amid increasingly contentious contract negotiations. The union, called SPEEA, is telling members to reject Boeing’s offer, saying the raises the company is offering are disrespectful.

Now, aerospace analyst Scott Hamilton says some SPEEA members are preparing for a work slowdown in which they work to the letter of the rules instead of doing things more efficiently. He says he doesn’t know how widespread such a slowdown will be.

"If you only have a handful, it won’t have any impact," Hamilton said. "If you wind up having hundreds in key locations, it could start to have an impact."

A Boeing spokesman says the company hasn’t noticed any kind of work slowdown. The company says its offer rewards workers for their contributions and allows the company to stay competitive as costs for health care and pensions rise.

A union spokesman says he also hadn’t heard about a work slowdown, but adds that he wouldn’t be surprised if that happens. The union will count votes on the contract on Oct. 1.

In July 2017, Ashley Gross became KNKX's youth and education reporter after years of covering the business and labor beat. She joined the station in May 2012 and previously worked five years at WBEZ in Chicago, where she reported on business and the economy. Her work telling the human side of the mortgage crisis garnered awards from the Illinois Associated Press and the Chicago Headline Club. She's also reported for the Alaska Public Radio Network in Anchorage and for Bloomberg News in San Francisco.