Happy News!

My husband just e-mailed me this article. I am going to include it here but if you would like, it can also be found here.

Tentative agreement reached between SPEEA and Boeing on new Prof & Tech contracts

Tentative agreement was reached today between the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), IFPTE Local 2001, and Boeing on new four-year contracts covering 21,000 engineers and technical workers.

The two sides reached agreement early Friday. Union negotiators are recommending members approve the agreements. If approved by union members, the agreements will replace existing contracts that expire Dec. 1.

Two contracts are involved in the negotiations. The first covers 14,000 engineers in the SPEEA Professional Bargaining Unit. The second contract covers 7,000 technical workers in the union’s Technical Bargaining Unit. While the majority of workers are in the Puget Sound region, the contracts cover employees in Oregon, Utah and California. Both contracts expire Dec. 1.

No details can be released until after union negotiators present the agreements to the SPEEA Professional and Technical bargaining unit councils at a special meeting set for 6 p.m., this evening (Friday, Nov. 14).

Main Table negotiations started Oct. 29.

For those of you who are confused, SPEEA is the engineering union that my husband belongs to. He didn't really have a choice, you have to join to get the job. Most of the time, it isn't a big deal, and the union actually does lots of good things for us, but this year was a contract negotiation year.

For people who work with unions, that is a really scary thing. There have been strong rumors of an impending strike all year. Given the current economic crisis, many people I know would agree with me that the thought of a strike right now is one of the scariest things they could possibly imagine.

Thankfully though, this article is basically saying that as long as people aren't stupid or greedy, there is a good chance that a strike will be avoided, a huge blessing indeed. I know many people, including ourselves, whose prayers would be answered by this.

So, to all of my readers, thanks for indulging me for a minute while I celebrate this. For us, it's a pretty big deal.