Onex-Boeing deal depends on wage cuts by union

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ The Canadian company that's buying the Boeing's commercial operations in Kansas and Oklahoma is asking Boeing's biggest union for cuts in wages and benefits. <br/><br/>Steve

Tuesday, March 29th 2005, 1:08 pm

By: News On 6

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ The Canadian company that's buying the Boeing's commercial operations in Kansas and Oklahoma is asking Boeing's biggest union for cuts in wages and benefits.

Steve Rooney is the Machinists union local president. He told members in a memo that Onex has proposed cuts in all areas of the collective bargaining agreement. The memo says members will not vote on a contract until Onex completes negotiations with Boeing's other unions.

Rooney says the Onex deal for the purchase of Boeing facilities in Wichita and in Tulsa and McAlester, Oklahoma, is continent upon Onex reaching an agreement with the labor unions.

He says if they don't reach an agreement with the unions, Onex could walk away and owe Boeing nothing.

Negotiations continue this week.