Mcdonnell Workers Pocket $890 Bonuses

Nearly 8,000 McDonnell Douglas Corp. workers will receive bonuses averaging $890 Friday for inventing ways to save time on airplane production tasks.

The savings are split with McDonnell Douglas under a “gainsharing” plan adopted in its 1995 contract with United Aerospace Workers Local 148.

Local President Kedrick Legg said worker skepticism about the program is changing to enthusiasm “now that they’ve seen some results.”

John Szymanski, employee involvement director for the company, said next year’s checks should be much larger as workers become more efficient at the new production techniques.