Wichita Integrated Defense Systems (SPEEA) The Best Offer on Dec. 20th vote Fo r " YES"

Wichita Engineers: Society of Professional Engineering and
Technical Employees in Aerospace(SPEEA)
Wichita Integrated Defense Systems
The Best Offer on Dec. 20th vote For
" YES"

Yahoo Press Release
WICHITA, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 15, 2005--The union representing engineers at The Boeing Company's Wichita Integrated Defense Systems is sending a new contract offer to members for a ratification vote. Voting will take place Tuesday, Dec. 20, at an all-member meeting. Details of the meeting time and place will be sent to members when they are available.

SPEEA represents 4,660 employees in Wichita at Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. Overall, the professional union represents 22,200 engineers, technical and professional employees in Washington, Kansas, Oregon, Utah and California. SPEEA, a Local of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), also represents workers at BAE Systems, Inc., in Irving, Texas, and Triumph Composite Systems, Inc., in Spokane, Wash.

The latest offer is for a three-year contract covering the 788 engineers in the Wichita Engineering Unit. If approved by members on Tuesday (Dec. 20), represented employees will receive a 4.5 percent lump sum bonus before the end of the year. In addition, the contract creates pools for wage increases of 5 percent in year one, 4 percent in year two and 4 percent in the final year of the contract. Individual employees are guaranteed a 1 percent increase in each year and a total of 4.5 percent over the three years of the contract.

By returning to the bargaining table, the union was able to switch the Wichita contract to three years, continuing its tie to contracts for Boeing engineers in SPEEA's Puget Sound bargaining units. In addition, the union secured letters of understanding recognizing the need to find a replacement for medical coverage for employees who retire early. While the benefit remains for qualifying existing employees, it will not be available to employees hired after Dec. 31, 2006. Another side letter establishes a joint committee to explore determination of appropriate market pay.

The Boeing Company is still waiting for KC767 ( Massive Urgency Tankers) and C17 (222) to be be approved.

It is our Hope the patagon and the congress approve enough budget to keep our country safe and we sure do need massive numbers of tankers for KC 767 and 222 C-17 to keep away terroist, safe environmental issue, homeland security and keeping peace around the world and keep strong economic to run for Defense Space for the Boeing Company.

Puget sound voted Yes last December 1st, 2005 and "Positive Result" came as the following :

89.5 percent approved from the engineers (Yes).
84 percent from the technical workers (Yes).

The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, or SPEEA, and strongly recommended that its members accept the contract.

It is the first time, place engineers and technical employees into Boeing's employee incentive plan, or EIP, which offers payments based on how well the company does. Represented employees could receive their first annual EIP check in February.

Here are the Highlights of New Contract Offer

Competitive Pay

Average engineering salary increases from $82,060 to at least $95,884 over the 3-year contract

Average technical employee salary increases from $61,744 to at least $71,134

Salary reviews with SPEEA for 2007 and 2008 to keep pay competitive in the market

Employee Incentive

Potential of 20 days extra pay annually .

Allows employees to share in the company's success.

First potential payout in first quarter 2006 based on Boeing's 2005 performance .

Excellent Benefits

Enhanced health care coverage with no increase in employee cost share.

Pension – monthly basic benefit formula increased 16.5% to $70.

Increased company match to the 401(k) savings plan .

Key elements of the contract include:
Annual Salary Adjustment Funds

Salary Adjustment Fund	2006	2007	2008
Base Salary adjustment Fund Professional Unit Technical Unit	4.0 % 4.0 %	4.0 % 4.0 %	4.0 % 4.0 %
BMarket Adjustment fund Professional Unit Technical Unit	2.5 % 1.0 %	Dependent on Market analysis Dependent on Market analysis	Dependent on Market analysis Dependent on Market analysis
Promotion Fund Professional Unit Technical Unit	0.5 % 0.5%	0.5 % 0.5%	0.5 % 0.5%

1.5 percent minimum annual salary increase for each Professional Unit Employee;
2 percent minimum annual salary increase for each Technical Unit Employee

Boeing has agreed to review with SPEEA the company’s annual salary market analysis for 2007 and 2008. At that time, Boeing will determine if increases to the salary adjustment funds are needed to keep employee pay competitive with other companies.

You can see more detailed information with this link

Competitive Pay

The offer includes an incentive pay plan that allows SPEEA-represented employees to share in the company’s financial success and align with the incentives in place with professional employees throughout much of the company. The Employee Incentive Plan (EIP) provides a potential of 20 additional days’ pay per year, depending on the company’s performance against specific measurements. If the company meets its annual operating target, the plan generates a 10-day payout; exceeding the target produces a larger payout.

“This contract feature aligns the majority of our salaried employees around our business plan and rewards them for their efforts to continuously improve our quality and productivity and meet our performance goals,” said Mulally..

Health Care Benefits

The company is offering enhancements to the Traditional Medical Plan and the Select Network Plan (formerly called Selections), with no increases in cost share for employees. The Select Network Plan, the health care plan that currently requires zero premiums for employees in Washington, will no longer require referrals to specialists. Under the Traditional Medical Plan, network services currently paid at 95 percent will be paid at 100 percent.

Retirement Benefits

The basic monthly benefit formula for pensions will increase 16.5 percent to $70 per month per year of service, up from $60 per month. The alternate formula remains unchanged. Employees who retire under the alternate formula gain from salary increases prior to retirement and from annual Employee Incentive Plan payouts.

The company match in Boeing’s 401(k) savings plan will increase from 50 percent to 75 percent for the first eight percent of pay that employees invest in the plan.

Early Retiree Medical

Current employees and retirees continue to be eligible for early retiree medical coverage. Boeing provides these benefits to eligible employees who retire before age 65, prior to becoming eligible for Medicare. To better align benefits for professional employees across the company, SPEEA-represented employees hired on or after Jan. 1, 2007 will not be eligible for early retiree medical benefits.

Boeing’s contract offer concludes two weeks of intensive negotiations. SPEEA voting is conducted by mail, and ballots will be counted prior to contract expiration at midnight on Dec. 1. If the three-year contract is ratified, it goes into effect Dec. 2.

Details of the contract proposal are available online at www.boeing.com/negotiations. Employees and families who have questions about the offer can also call the Boeing Negotiations Call Center at 1-877-225-2186.

November 27, 2005, during conversation with Engineers, Craig, and Kelly, they certainly told me about the Boeing's Contract for SPEEA. They expressed that "if they don't take this contract, that is not smart at all. Boeing's new offer certainly make sense and it is very positive". Another Engineer, Bill did not agree 100 percent and mentioned that it could be better on medical insurance although he understood about medical crisis in America. Senator Patty Murray and Senator Tracey Eide mentioned in their response letter, they are fully committed working on health care Reform. And fully committed to providing immediate relief to those doctors and hospitals that have been hit hard by skyrocketing insurance premiums.

December 1, 2005, Bill finally told me today that he had to vote for "yes" because he could not denie that the Boeing Company's benefit is very competitive compare to many other companies. He certainly understood about the medical crisis in America.

It is positive to see that Boeing Executive Board and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes,
Alan Mulally and managers listened carefully to SPEEA negotiators and employees' top priorities-pay, the Employee Incentive Plan, health care and retirement benefits. They believe this is a respectful and competitive offer that recognizes the great work of the Boeing company engineering and technical team and enhances Boeing Company's competitiveness going forward." And the result shows: 89.5 percent approved from the engineers (Yes) and 84 percent from the technical workers (Yes). It shows "positive result".

It is positive to see some of the representatives and senators are helping on this issue to be resolve and it isour Hope the patagon and the congress approve enough budget to keep our country safe and we sure do need massive numbers of tankers for KC 767 and 222 C-17 to keep away terroist, safe environmental issue, homeland security and keeping peace around the world and keep strong economic to run for Defense Space for the Boeing Company.

It is everyone's hope that Wichita Engineers: Society of Professional Engineering and
Technical Employees in Aerospace(SPEEA) Wichita Integrated Defense Systems approve The Best Offer on Dec. 20th vote For " YES"

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