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Mediated Talks May Resume This Weekend

The New York Times reports contract talks between Boeing and its
largest union will resume as soon as this weekend, in an attempt to
end a five-week strike which is costing the company $100 million a
day, and no doubt pinching the holiday season plans of many union
families.

The Times reports the International Association of Machinists
and Aerospace Workers announced the step in e-mail and text
messages to its 27,000 members at Boeing. The two sides have been
far apart on a few issues, especially on the issue of outsourcing
work.

Doug Kight, Boeing's VP of human resources, issued a statement,
in which he said a federal mediator will facilitate the talks.

"We are interested in exploring whether there is a path forward
to resolve the strike," he said. "There are a number of issues to
resolve, and any agreement must allow us to remain competitive and
provide the flexibility to manage our business."

Earlier this week, Boeing Commercial Airplanes President Scott
Carson told managers the company would resume discussions, "...when
the union focuses on its critical few priorities, and only then can
we begin to narrow the wide gap in our positions."

The number of union machinists employed by the company has
dropped roughly in half in the past decade. The company says those
which remain average about $56,000 a year in base pay, $10,000 more
in overtime pay, and the value of health care and benefits pushes
the value of annual compensation to an average of about $91,500 per
machinist.

As ANN reported, IAM struck the American
planemaker September 6... three days after its members voted
overwhelmingly against Boeing's latest contract offer, and walk off
the job.