Unions Talk Tax Breaks
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Monthly Publication OOctoberctober 22014014 Special section: Candidate Questionnaire P7-14 UnionsUnions talktalk ttaxax bbreaksreaks Executive Director Ray Goforth, left, and IAM Lodge 751 President Jon Holden testify before the Washington state Citizens Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences. SPEEA and the Machinists are pushing for more accountabil- ity in aerospace tax preferences to ensure companies taking the tax breaks build the industry where they were given. See page 3. Spirit salary charts Area Rep recognition Class size online – P2 month – P4-5 counts – P6 Volume 58, Number 10, October 2014 ISSN 0194-8687 President Ryan Rule Executive Director Ray Goforth Executive Board Bob Wilkerson Treasurer Jimmie Mathis Secretary Joel Funfar NW Regional VP Michael E. Hochberg NW Regional VP Brent McFarlane NW Regional VP SPIU members discuss issues Earl Carter MW Regional VP SPEEA Pilots and Instructors Unit (SPIU) members met with Council Rep David Whitacre and Rich Plunkett, staff focal SPEEA Council Officers for SPIU and director of strategic development, at SPEEA Sept. 12. Plunkett provided an update on related contract issues and discussed their concerns about scheduling and work rule issues. Plunkett also gave an update on the age-discrimination Shannon Moriarty Chair complaints against The Boeing Company and Spirit AeroSystems. Gordon Yip Treasurer Theryl Johnson Secretary Midwest Regional Council Officers CChartsharts oonlinenline Brenda Reiling Chair Debbie Logsdon Treasurer Salary data reflects Rhonda Greer Secretary Northwest Regional Council Officers raises at Spirit Dave Baine Chair ICHITA – Salary charts reflecting No charts are printed for employee groups having Carrie Rule Treasurer 2014 raises for SPEEA-represented fewer than 10 employees. This is done to give a Rebekah Hewitt Secretary employees at Spirit AeroSystems are measure of confidentiality on individual salaries. W SPEEA Publications online at www.speea.org. For groups with 10 or more employees, four SPEEA posts the charts online as a tool for mem- charts are prepared. For groups with 20 or Bill Dugovich Communications Director bers to see how their careers are progressing and more employees, two additional charts (a total Lori Dupuis Graphic/Web Designer to help them in their conversations with their of six) are prepared. Job families with 25 or more Karen McLean Publications Editor managers. employees in a single skill management code (SMC) also get an SMC-specific set of six charts. [email protected] This year’s data www.speea.org Related details: • Wichita Engineering Unit (WEU) – The WEU average raise for 2014 • You will need your employee identifica- published monthly by: was 3.62%. The WEU average salary tion number to access the charts (charts Society of Professional Engineering Employees increased from $93,465 to $96,845 – an are accessible to members only). in Aerospace, IFPTE Local 2001, AFL-CIO, CLC average increase of $3,381 for 689 eligible • The SPEEA salary charts online include 15205 52nd Ave S • Seattle, WA 98188 • (206) 433-0991 employees. the number and average amount of Reproduction rights reserved. No part of this publication • Wichita Technical and Professional upgrades and out-of-sequence (OOS) may be reproduced without permission. Unit (WTPU) – The WTPU average increases on charts E and F. When permission is granted, material must be used in raise for 2014 was 2.9%. The Spirit • Compa-Ratio is defined as salary divided context and credit given to the SPEEA SPOTLITE. WTPU average salary increased from by the salary reference table (SRT) Original articles and feedback are solicited. $74,956 to $77,126 – an average increase middle value for the job family and level. of $2,170 for 1,643 eligible employees. Subscription rate: $2.00 per year. $2.00 of the To find the salary charts online, go to www. annual membership dues is paid as a About the online charts speea.org and click on the drop-down menu year’s subscription to the SPEEA SPOTLITE. for Member Tools/Salary Charts. All employees eligible for the salary exercise are POSTMASTER: Address changes to: The SPEEA SPOTLITE, grouped by occupation and job family. The data is also available for SPEEA bargaining 15205 52nd Ave S, Seattle WA 98188. units at The Boeing Company. Periodicals Postage Paid at Seattle, Washington SEATTLE HALL EVERETT HALL WICHITA HALL 15205 52nd Ave S • Seattle, WA 98188 2414 106th Street SW 973 S Glendale St • Wichita, KS 67218 M-Th, 8 am to 5 pm • Fri, 8 am to 4:30 pm Everett, WA 98204 M-Th, 8:30 am to 5 pm • Fri, 8 am to 4:30 pm Phone: (206) 433-0991 M-Fri, 8 am to 4:30 pm Phone: (316) 682-0262 1 (800) 325-0811 Phone: (425) 355-2883 2 SPEEA SPOTLITEOCTOBER 2014 SPEEA, Machinists push for accountability for tax breaks ByB BillBillD Dugovichi h to judged theirh effectivenessff at achiev-h SPEEA Communications Director ing intended goals. ith The Boeing Company announc- “Our union, like the Machinists’ ing more layoffs and job moves out of union, has consistently supported WWashington, SPEEA and IAM 751 are these tax preferences for the aero- stepping up efforts to ensure the $8.7 billion exten- space industry,” Goforth testified. sion of aerospace tax preferences are used to grow the “It is clear to us, however, that these state’s aerospace industry with good paying jobs and tax preferences must be modified – not by companies moving jobs elsewhere. as JLARC recommends – to tie our Passed by the Legislature during special ses- public investment to a clear mea- sion, the aerospace tax breaks were granted to surement of jobs maintained and secure Boeing’s 777X program and help grow the created in the industry in our state.” regional aerospace industry. However, since pas- Kahng questioned the benefits of giving tax Holden expanded on the point by adding that the breaks to businesses. sage in November 2013, Boeing has announced jobs created by companies taking the tax breaks 4,000 layoffs of engineers and technical work- must also be good jobs that can support families. “States are competing away their tax base in order ers, made plans to use robots instead of skilled to attract these businesses,” Kahng said. “To say it’s a Machinists at its 777X factory and moved whole “If you outsource jobs to a vendor who pays $15 wise investment decision by taxpayers in these juris- programs out of Washington. an hour, you did not improve your community,” dictions is a mischaracterization. To some extent it said Holden. “Instead of fueling the economy, is really not good for states in this competition.” While supporting aerospace incentives, SPEEA those same jobs are draining valuable social pro- and the Machinists agree with the recent Joint grams when those employees must be subsidized SPEEA and the Machinists will continue to Legislative Audit and Review Committee through state-funded health care, food stamps work together to inform the public and push the (JLARC) which recommends further review and and free or reduced school lunches.” Legislature to revisit the aerospace tax preference clarification of the stated goals of the Aerospace bill during the 2015 legislative session. The goal Tax Preference Package. The two unions are Tax breaks have little to do with why engineering is not to kill the aerospace tax preferences but working with consultants to draft the Aerospace supplier Electroimpact located in Washington rather to ensure that companies are using them Tax Incentive Accountability Act and meeting state, according to Ben Hempstead, a mechan- to maintain and expand the aerospace industry with legislators to explain what is happening in ical engineer. Located in Mukilteo, Wash., to benefit the region providing the breaks. the workplace and why change is needed. Electroimpact supplies engineering work to Boeing, Airbus Industries and others. “They took the tax breaks and immediately started As part of the joint effort, SPEEA Executive Director moving engineering jobs out of the state,” Goforth Ray Goforth and IAM Lodge 751 President Jon “Way down the list is tax policy,” Hempstead said. “That’s not what taxpayers expected.” said. “Electroimpact is in Washington state Holden recently testified before the Washington Testimony given at the Sept. 19 meeting of the state Citizens Commission for Performance because our largest customer is here, and it’s a great place to live.” Citizens Commission for Performance Measurement Measurement of Tax Preferences. The commission of Tax Preferences can be viewed at: www.tvw.org. is reviewing the state’s litany of corporate tax breaks Reacting to the comment, Commissioner Lily Postal requirements PPageage Area Rep Recognition month – why it matters .............................p4-5 Northwest Council endorses measure to reduce class size .......................p6 VP vacancy on state Labor Board ..............p6 Where do your candidates stand on key issues? .................................P7-14 Hearing set on Boeing work move ..........P15 EWP: Website upgrade makes training easier to manage ..........................P15 Northwest Council approves STEM grants .....................................................p16 Training and events ......................................P16 INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL ENGINEERS Local 2001, AFL-CIO, CLC 3 SPEEA SPOTLITEOCTOBER 2014 WWhyhy iitt mmattersatters Area Rep Recognition Month very October, SPEEA Council Reps and activists honor the work of Area Reps – who partner with SPEEA leaders to help members get to Eknow their union. The Area Reps highlighted here show why this role is important to the strength of SPEEA as a professional aerospace union. Portland Area Rep – ‘Unions give you a voice’ ORTLAND – Andrew Sherman started sion away for non-union new hires). work at Boeing Portland in March 2012. “I was very spirited,” Sherman said. PBy October of that same year, he signed That issue triggered him to sign up to become an Area Rep and picket captain. up as an Area Rep in Portland and The sudden transformation was personal.