Boeing, union reach agreement

Boeing and its biggest union reached a tentative agreement on a four-year contract extension that would ensure the 737MAX is built in Renton, Wash., and likely lead to a settlement of the National Labor Relations Board case against Boeing over a 787 production line in South Carolina. The deal could also bring Air Force tanker work to Puget Sound if Boeing decides to shut down a Wichita, Kan., plant. The 28,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers are due to vote on the deal next week. (Sources: Seattle Times, Reuters, 11/30/11) Gulf Coast note: Boeing has operations in the Gulf Coast region