Agreement May End 6-Week Boeing Strike

The Machinists union and the Boeing Co. reached a tentative agreement Sunday that could end a 6-1/2-week strike at the world’s largest civilian jet manufacturer.

The agreement was reached in a day and a half of negotiations, the first since the strike began Oct. 6. Key issues were job security, medical benefits and pay.

Settlement terms were not disclosed immediately, but union leaders said the proposal offers protection against subcontracting of work, expands benefits for laid-off union members and provides higher pensions. Boeing also softened its demand for sharp increases in health insurance premiums, the union said.

Union leaders are recommending approval in a membership ratification vote Tuesday.

Boeing spokesman Russ Young said workers could be back on the job Wednesday if the pact is ratified.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the largest union at Boeing, represents more than 32,000 blue-collar production workers - about 23,500 in the Puget Sound area, 7,200 in Wichita, Kan., and 1,200 in Gresham, Ore. About 293 union members work at Boeing’s west Spokane plant.

Bill Johnson, president of Machinists District Lodge 751 in Seattle, said union negotiators voted unanimously to recommend approval.