Looming Boeing strike

[CalliArcale]

Looks like this is gonna mess up a lot of launches for the next couple of months. Delta's got a pretty full slate in the near future, and this will mess them all up. (Fortunately, the spacecraft I'm all excited about is New Horizons, and it's slated for an Atlas V. It should be safe.)<br /><br />Boeing's Launch Schedule Hit by Impending Union Strike <br /><br />Question for the Shuttle/ISS insiders -- is there any indication that this could affect the schedule for the next Shuttle launch? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[dobbins]

The Atlas for New Horizons suffered minor damage from Wilma.<br />http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/10/28/pluto.wilma.reut/<br /><br />

 

[radarredux]

> <i><font color="yellow">Question for the Shuttle/ISS insiders -- is there any indication that this could affect the schedule for the next Shuttle launch?</font>/i><br /><br />Wow! I hadn't even thought of that. Hopefully USA is sufficiently separate that it won't be an issue.</i>

 

[bpcooper]

The rocket itself was not damaged, the report is bit off.<br /><br />As for that launch, the Atlas 5's third stage has a few boeing components (the spin table and adapter) and from what I have heard they are a bit concerned about the strike too. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>-Ben</p> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

Sounds like it was pretty minor damage. Phew! I was worried for a minute there. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

Oh good. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> That's one less thing to worry about.<br /><br />Now I just have to worry about how long it'll take for CALIPSO to get off the ground. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[yurkin]

Boeing’s Machinists on Strike<br /><br />Well Calli at least you have this to keep in mind. There aren’t any time critical flybys that you have to make when your space mission is going to Earth.<br />

 

[CalliArcale]

Alas, anvel, they've started picketing, so they really did go to strike.<br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>I don't think Boeing employees want to sacrifice a few paychecks for these marginal differences.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />Part of me wonders whether this isn't true in a lot of strike situations. Here in Minnesota, the big news until recently was the Northwest mechanics strike. They're represented by a small union, AMFA, that has a shockingly elitist attitude. (They actually ejected flight attendants and ticket agents from the union on the grounds that they weren't "skilled employees" and thus didn't deserve union representation. And then they were mad when the flight attendants and ticket agents, with their new union, not only agreed to Northwest's requested pay cuts but did not go on a sympathy strike.) They're also extremely well paid. Or were; Northwest has replaced them all. It had to. There simply wasn't any money to meet the mechanics' demand, and even if the mechanics had agreed to the pay cut, the airline would still be declaring bankruptcy today. Any union victory would be pyrrhic at this point, so striking was really just a way of throwing away a few months of income for the union mechanics. In fact, this isn't the first time the mechanics have gone on strike and made demands that didn't make sense, although previously Northwest has bowed to them in the end. The union leaders have gone on record saying they don't believe in negotiating; the other side has to completely agree to their terms, or there's no deal. They also don't believe in putting anything to a vote among their union members, which is disturbing. My mother learned through her time as a substitute teacher that the dominant teacher's union in Minnesota is exactly the same way.<br /><br />I wonder how many other unions are like that? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>