In Business This Week

BOEING ENGINEERS DIG IN THEIR HEELS

These days, most aerospace engineers would be happy just to keep their jobs. But Boeing's 17,000 unionized engineers and technicians in Seattle are playing hardball. Some 70% voted to reject the three-year contract union leaders negotiated with Boeing and authorized a strike. Management isn't budging from its offer. Since many of Boeing's customers want to delay plane deliveries, it could probably weather a strike. The engineers, by contrast, have no strike fund.EDITED BY HARRIS COLLINGWOOD