Boeing talks fail, workers to strike

[babsbunny]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-080905boeing-strike,0,357657.story

By Julie Johnsson | Tribune reporter
6:08 PM CDT, September 5, 2008

A last-ditch effort by Boeing Co. to avert a strike by its largest union has failed and the workers who build its airplanes are set to walk off the job shortly after midnight.

This would mark the second time in three years that the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which represents about 27,000 Boeing employees, has initiated a work stoppage at Chicago-based Boeing.

Boeing executives, union leaders and a federal mediator had been holed up in a Florida hotel since late Thursday attempting to breach differences on outsourcing as well as a host of other issues that union members viewed as givebacks, including higher health-insurance co-payments.

"Despite meeting late into the night and throughout the day, continued contract talks with the Boeing Co. did not address our issues," said Tom Wroblewski, president of IAM District 751, in a communique to members Friday afternoon.