Strike at Boeing appears stagnant

SEATTLE, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Boeing and the International Association of Machinists union appear far apart and unwilling to compromise to settle a strike, both sides indicate.

"There is no movement," the national aerospace coordinator for the union, Mark Blondin, told The Seattle Times.

Doug Kight, the company's labor negotiator, said the two sides have not sat down to the negotiating table since the strike began. "The differences in our positions are wide," he said.

The largest difference between the two sides concerns the issue of job security. The company needs to "react nimbly to what can be very sudden and dramatic changes in our marketplace," Kight said.

The company has 3,700 jets on back order, which union members hope will put pressure on Boeing to end the strike.

Several union member said they had plans to meet the financial demands of the strike. On top of the $150 weekly check from the union, machinist Michael Spears said he'd borrowed from his retirement funds to get through the strike. He expects to repay the loan with a strike-ending signing bonus, the Times reported.