UNION REJECTS BOEING OFFER

Striking Boeing workers, concerned about health insurance benefits and angry over prospective bonuses for Boeing executives, rejected a three-year contract offer that had been accepted earlier by the union leadership. Members of Machinists District Lodge 751 chanted "No givebacks, no way," and "Stop Boeing Greed" as it was announced that 60.9 percent of the rank-and-file rejected the proposal. Union negotiators urged membership to accept the offer, arguing that the agreement would boost pensions, offer some protections against job losses through subcontracting and scale down health care increases. But most of the 24,000 members rejected a requirement that they begin paying part of their health-care insurance premiums to remain in the most popular health plan. This strike, which began October 6, is the second longest in the 79-year history of the world's largest commercial jet maker. In 1948, another machinist strike lasted 140 days.