SEATTLE, December 5, 1996 - The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM/AW) today made a proposal to Boeing concerning the offload of pressurized commercial airplane doors.

The IAM/AW is exercising new contract language allowing the union to suggest alternatives that would allow the retention of work that has been identified for placement with suppliers.

Boeing had advised the union of its intention to place the doors with an outside supplier to increase the company's access to key markets and reduce costs. No layoffs would result from this action; all affected employees would be reassigned and retrained for available work elsewhere in the company.

The union proposed establishing an Integrated Product Team (IPT) for six months to recommend improvements in cycle time reduction and quality, and to improve schedules and customer satisfaction. As proposed, the team would include an IAM/AW representative from Renton and Wichita, a representative from the IAM/AW's international office and Boeing representatives from engineering, manufacturing and quality assurance.

"We welcome the union's overall proposal and we will give it very careful consideration," said Bob Dryden, executive vice president of Airplane Production for Boeing Commercial Airplane Group.

"Boeing has successfully used Integrated Product Teams for several years, to allow employees -- including represented employees -- and managers to work together across different functions," Dryden said. "However, today's proposal to insert union leadership on an IPT in effect blurs the distinction between management's responsibility and the union's traditional role."

While the proposal has some merit, Dryden said, it also raises some questions about how this offer fits with other recent actions by the union.

"We are perplexed by this proposal to "work together," given recent actions by the union in filing unfair labor practice charges, seeking a federal court injunction to prohibit Boeing from implementing major process improvements, and in refusing invitations to sit down and discuss a variety of pertinent issues," he said. "In fact, today's proposal recommends some of the very process improvements the union is trying to prevent us from implementing."

Dryden added, "We are very interested in establishing a genuine, cooperative relationship with the union, not just in the manufacturing of doors but throughout our production processes. We're willing to sit down and talk with the union about all the ways we can work together. We hope they will participate with us in that discussion."