Rockets will sit after machinists strike at Boeing

LOS ANGELES — Boeing Co. officials have not yet decided whether to scrub upcoming satellite launches or hire replacement workers after machinists went on strike in California, Alabama and Florida, a company spokesman said Wednesday.

About 1,500 workers joined the walkout that began at 12:01 a.m. after last-minute talks broke down between their union and Boeing’s Integrated Defense Systems unit that operates the Delta rocket program.

A federal mediator was unable to broker an agreement. No new talks were scheduled. The unit services mainly NASA and the Air Force.

Boeing was reviewing contingency plans and talking to customers, company spokesman Dan Beck said.

“It’s too early for us to make a decision as to whether launches are going to be delayed,” he said.

A union representative said three Delta rockets were on launch pads, two at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and one at Cape Canaveral, with the earliest launch scheduled for Nov. 15.

“They’re not going to launch any more Delta rockets,” said Gary Quick, chairman of the Machinists union’s negotiating committee.

The Machinists said Boeing had proposed ending retirement health care coverage for new employees and wants to eliminate caps on out-of-pocket expenses for medical premiums and copays.