AUGUST 2008

Retirement Retirement risk at stake risk at stake in contract in contract talks – P4talks – P4

H.O.P.E. award H.O.P.E. award comes full comes full circle – P6circle – P6

at the MarinersMariners

SPEEA SPEEA Solidarity Solidarity

NightNightSATURDAY

August 23August 23Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland AthleticsSeattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics

ORDER NOW!ORDER NOW! Tickets & T-shirt for SPEEA members and family

Tickets and T-shirts available by pre-order only. Limit 2 free tickets & T-shirts per member. Seating is limited. Additional tickets available at a discounted price of $15 each.

To order tickets, contact a SPEEA representative in your area or call SPEEA at (425) 355-2883 [Everett] or (206) 433-0991 [Seattle]

President Cynthia Cole

Executive Director

Ray Goforth

Executive BoardJimmie Mathis TreasurerBill Hartig SecretaryWalt Ditlefsen NW Regional VPSharon Moats NW Regional VPLarry Marrell NW Regional VPEarl Carter MW Regional VP

SPEEA Council OfficersSteve Spyridis ChairRoger Pullman TreasurerJoel Funfar Secretary

Midwest Regional Council OfficersDonna Castaneda ChairDebbie Logsdon TreasurerRhonda Greer Secretary

Northwest Regional Council OfficersCarl Luedke ChairSandra Hastings TreasurerMark Schuetz Secretary

SPEEA PublicationsBill Dugovich Communications DirectorLori Dupuis Graphic/Web DesignerRich Kremnetz Printing/Mail ManagerKaren McLean Publications Editor

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AUGUST 2008SpotLiteSpotLite 2

SPEEA supports ‘Get Out Vote’ campaign

From July through Oct. 20, SPEEA, The Boeing Company, and the International Association of Machinists

(IAM) will join together to emphasize the importance of voting.

At tables in cafeterias, lunchrooms or plazas staffed by volunteers, U.S. citizens can:

Register to vote• Correct their voting address of record• Request an absentee ballot • Request ongoing absentee-voter status•

“Elections at the local, state and federal level will influence issues that affect us all as employees, and as members of our communi-ties,” said Stan Sorscher, SPEEA legislative director. Although SPEEA is non-partisan, the union participates in legislative issues such as health care, transportation, education, and investment in infrastructure.

“For example, SPEEA successfully teamed up with the IAM, Boeing and elected offi-cials to raise awareness about building the Air Force tanker with experienced workers on our production lines,” Sorscher said.

To learn more about the voter registration campaign, check out the Boeing NW Global Corporate Citizenship website.

Staff changesStaff changes

CA shifts into retirement gearAfter more than 30 years supporting SPEEA as a member, a leader and staff, Jim Singletary retired July 3.

“It’s been a great ride, but I’m ready to shift gears,” said Singletary, who most recently served the members as a contract administrator (CA). He went to work at SPEEA in 1998, to become the first SPEEA staff to work in the Midwest.

He became a union activist in the early 1970s when the SPEEA Techs first began organizing. For 16 years, he served either as a Council Rep or as an Executive Board member. He also served on the 1989 SPEEA Technical Unit Negotiation Team.

At The Boeing Company, Singletary worked as a Boeing Technical Designer (Level 07) for many years in Renton. In 1994, he moved into management to work with the SPEEA Technical Job Redesign (STJR) project. He worked a total of 38 years at Boeing.

In his ‘spare’ time, he spent 35 years with the

Army Reserve and raised a family.

His retirement plans include starting a business, Tall Oaks Excavation. “My sons, who have their own businesses, may be some of my only clients,” Singletary said. “That’s fine with me – I want time to enjoy retirement.”

From Ed Wells Partnership to CAAfter serving SPEEA members for more than

10 years at the Ed Wells Partnership office, Dean Tudor will return to SPEEA as a contract administrator (CA) in Everett.

Tudor worked as a contract administrator for SPEEA since 1989, before going to Ed Wells Partnership (EWP)

in 1996. Tudor was co-director at EWP, and then became the Effective Partnership program manager. In that role, he supported the develop-ment of local partnerships as forums for work-ing together on issues of mutual concern in the workplace.

His more recent work includes time spent in Wichita supporting the Spirit AeroSystems re-certification campaign, and teaching a class called “How to Manage Your Career.” Tudor has more than 26 years of employee relations and employee counseling experience.

Organizing director back in NWComing off a successful re-certification campaign

in Wichita, April Rebollo, organizing director, is back in Seattle, getting more famil-iar with SPEEA in the Puget Sound. Rebollo joined staff in April, and went immedi-ately to Wichita.

Rebollo comes with more than 10 years of organizing

experience and worked with Service Employees International Union (SEIU), United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) and the AFL-CIO on dif-ferent projects.

Prior to SPEEA, Rebollo worked at SEIU in Oregon and southwest Washington to organize hospital employees, including technicians and pro-fessionals. She’s had a passion for workplace justice and labor rights since college, but also has a love for the sea, particularly whales. She earned a bachelor’s of science degree and studied humpbacks, gray, blue and minke whales around the world. When layoffs hit her family in Texas, she switched gears back to the labor movement to help.

Summer interns are a big help Thanks to SPEEA summer interns Dorit Radzin and Sarah Nack. Radzin joins us by way of the AFL-CIO’s Law Student Union Summer. She’s pursuing a law degree at Georgetown University. Nack is studying graphic design at Western Washington University.

Index Page

Staff changes: CA shifts into retirement gear ....................................... 2SPEEA supports ‘Get Out Vote’ campaign ................................................ 2Retirement risk at stake in contract talks .......................................... 4What success looks like .......................... 5‘Be Like Ed’ honoree .............................. 6H.O.P.E. award comes full circle ............ 6Getting fi t – fi nd what motivates you ......................................... 7‘Share the Success’ desk tent ................... 8

3AUGUST 2008

published monthly by:Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, IFPTE Local 2001, AFL-CIO, CLC15205 52nd Ave S • Seattle, WA 98188 • (206) 433-0991

Periodicals Postage Paid at Seattle, Washington

Reproduction rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the editor. When permission is granted, material must be used in context and credit given to the SPEEA SPOTLITE.Original articles and feedback are solicited.POSTMASTER: Address changes to The SPEEA SPOTLITE

Local 2001, AFL-CIO, CLC

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Subscription rate: $2.00 per year$2.00 of the annual membership dues is paid as a year’s subscription to the SPEEA SPOTLITE.

Volume 50, Number 8; AUGUST 2008

SpotLiteSpotLite

By Cynthia Cole, SPEEA President

President’s Corner

B

P

Negotiations desk tents that ‘fly’ and why

As we wind down summer and finish our vacations, our thoughts turn more and more toward 2008 contract negotia-

tions. While these negotiations directly concern the members represented by the Puget Sound Professional and Technical contracts and the Wichita Engineering Unit (WEU) contract at The Boeing Company, the themes apply to all SPEEA members. The Bargaining Unit Negotiations Support (BUNS) committee cre-ated desk tents with slogans that apply to our efforts. Here are some of my favorites, along with my interpretations.

“It Works Because We Do”

Boeing creates products where quality and tech-nical integrity matter tremendously. There is always tension between meeting objectives and staying on schedule versus maintaining integ-rity in the creation process. Having a check and balance, as provided by the presence of a labor union, is integral to customer and pub-lic confidence. Our members know they can voice their concerns without fear of retaliation. SPEEA members are problem solvers and know how to make things work. It works because we do! Union contracts secure wages, benefits, and working conditions for the members to honor their worth in the workplace.

“Handshakes Won’t Fly”

This slogan came out of the 2005 Puget Sound negotiations experience. The SPEEA team agreed to two Letters of Understanding (LOUs) with the management team. As technical people, we thought handshakes meant we were agreeing to work out actual solutions to the two issues! The management team later changed that into “agree-ing to discuss ideas.” Well, handshakes are nice, but this time, signatures on the contract will be the only thing that “flies.”

“Our Contract, Our Future”

We want to pave the way for the future genera-tion and promote the continued development of a strong technical core. We want to balance the

perspective that values short term payoffs with one that promotes the long term success of the stakeholders. If we do right by the workers, then this translates into a future where all will benefit, including the shareholders.

We have read about the loss of the defined-ben-efit pension plan for Boeing’s non-represented employees. Boeing took away the defined ben-efit, and instead will offer a defined-contribution plan (based on 410(k) savings). To put it simply, defined-contribution plans require the employee to expertly use a crystal ball. What the employee has at retirement in this account depends on the ability of the employee to accurately predict asset returns, interest rates, inflation, stock per-formance, etc.

The level of contributions from the employer into defined-contribution plans is lower than that of defined-benefit plans. This means, for the majority of us who are not stock market wizards, less money gets put in, and we’ll get less money out. This is why retirees routinely outlive their savings but not their pensions. In other words, with a defined-contribution plan, corporations are shifting retire-ment risk onto their employees. Less money and more risk is, in fact, a sobering takeaway.

There is another problem. With the more por-table defined-contribution plan, employee loy-alty is more easily transferred to another employer offering the largest salary. In some industries, this increased rate of employee turnover does not mat-ter as much. In a technical environment, where much of the expertise in application of the knowl-edge base is in the heads of experienced employees, this becomes a major problem. The transfer of this knowledge comes as employees work shoulder-to-shoulder solving knotty issues.

By contrast, defined-benefit plans reward employees for serving their company and are a factor in attracting, retaining, and rewarding a qualified workforce. Their retirement income is based on pay and length of service to the com-pany. It ought to be easy to view retaining an experienced workforce as a contributing factor to long-term profits.

“Market-Leading Companies Pay Market-Leading Wages”

Market-leading wages and benefits enable a company to compete in the labor market for the best employees. This seems like it would be an obvious idea, yet it isn’t. Management has been leaning more towards staying under market with wages. They haul out charts to prove otherwise, yet their charts don’t fly when the database is tested. Market-leading wages and benefits attract employees best able to con-tribute to the future development of the ideas that enable a company to lead the market and remain profitable.

“Share the Success, No More – No Less”

This is the theme of the 2008 contract negotia-tions. Preliminary discussions lead us to believe that the company wants takeaways to make the workforce more “competitive.” Last time I checked, giving a technical workforce less did not spur output!

Acknowledging the input and concerns of the technical workforce creates the atmosphere con-ducive to competing in the global arena. SPEEA’s goals are to protect not only the current work-force but also the future workforce to ensure the success of the companies where we work.

Success is created by the employees. Our contract proposal will mirror our contribution to that success. No more, no less.

NEGOTIATIONS 2008 NEGOTIATIONS 2008 NEGOTAUGUST 2008

SpotLiteSpotLite 4

Retirement risk at stake in contract talksThe Boeing Company recently announced

upcoming changes for non-represented new hires’ pension benefit – switching

from a guaranteed payout to an investment in a 401(k) with no guarantees.

Anticipating the issue in upcoming contract talks, the Prof and Tech Negotiation Team took the following positions:

Keep the defi ned benefi t pension – this is • a monthly fi xed payment guaranteed after you retirePropose three-year vesting – today’s • vesting period is fi ve yearsEnable transfers – Rolling over to an IRA • or new 401k if leaving the companyRequest increase in standard benefi t – the • formula used to determine how much the pension payout will be if retiring during the next three years of the contract cycle.

The issue comes down to who takes on the risk, said Matt Kempf, SPEEA benefits director. He discussed the pension plans and Boeing’s changes with Council Reps at their July Council meeting.

With defined benefit contributions, retirees can bank on how much they get each month. With 401(k) contributions, the amount of money could ebb and flow with the market.

“Boeing says it’s critical to hire the best and the brightest and pay them according to the mar-ket – defined benefit pension plans are a key component of that compensation package,” Kempf said.

According to a May 2008 Watson Wyatt sur-vey, more than half of Fortune 100 companies include either a defined-benefit pension or a hybrid defined benefit-pension as part of their compensation package. “You can’t say pensions are a thing of the past when so many successful companies still offer them,” said Kempf.

Boeing’s new plan for non-represented employees (hired after Jan. 1, 2009) pays 3%, 4% or 5% of salary into a “401k-type” investment account in addition to a matching voluntary plan. According to the company, the current defined benefit pen-sion plans (BCERP and PVP) cost the company an average of 7% of salary (check your new Total Compensation statements). Compounded over time, the savings to the company is significant, but it’s unfortunate that they have to take away from the retirements of the newly hired non-union employees, Kempf said.

“It is very difficult to compare the plans as apples to apples because they both are not apples,” says Kempf. One will always be a defined benefit plan and the other alternative will not. The dif-ference with the SPEEA defined benefit plan is having part of your retirement package guar-anteed by Boeing (and insured by the federal

government),” said Kempf.

Members have told the negotiation teams that portability is important – which is why the teams are pursuing the option of transferring the pres-ent value of future defined benefit payments into an individual retirement account or 401(k) upon termination or retirement.

“We’re not asking Boeing to blaze a trail here – many major employers in the area offer the ability to roll over. The state of Washington offers similar options for the pension portion of their salary package,” Kempf said.

Kempf will come to workplace lunchtime meet-ings to discuss this in more detail. If you’d like to attend one, ask your Council Rep to contact the SPEEA office to schedule a meeting.

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Figure 2: Five simulated runs of 401(k) accounts using 4% annual contributions compared to the Boeing Company Employee Retirement Plan (BCERP) defined benefit pension.

Value

What is BCERP?The Boeing Company Employee Retirement Plan (BCERP) uses two formulas to deter-mine the size of the monthly pension payout. One formula is based on salary. The other is currently $70 per month multiplied by years of service. The Pension Service Center com-putes the benefit under both formulas, and retirees receive the higher of the two amounts. An employee with 30 years of service, retiring this year, would receive a pension benefit of no less than $2,100 per month. All SPEEA-represented employees participate in BCERP. Some may also have service time in Boeing’s other large pension, known as the Pension Value Plan (PVP).

TIATIONS 2008 NEGOTIATIONS 2008 5 SpotLiteSpotLite

AUGUST 2008

We want to hear from you!Comments and suggestions from represented employees make SPEEA a better union.

Take a moment and send us your thoughts.

Name___________________________________

Mail to:Comments

SPEEA – IFPTE Local 200115205 52nd Ave. S.Seattle, WA 98188Fax: 206-248-3990

orgo to www.speea.org and

submit your comments from the homepage

Upcoming eventsSee online calendar at

www.speea.org for details.

Guitar Hero Night Friday, Aug. 8 at SPEEA Wichita

Boeing retirement seminarAug. 13 at SPEEA Seattle

SPEEA Cares Charity Golf Tournament

Aug. 16 at Walter Hall Golf Course, Everett

SPEEA 101 – new-hire orientationAug. 20 – SPEEA Everett

Aug. 27 – SPEEA Seattle

Labor Day picnicsAug. 30 – Wichita Hutchinson

Labor Federation

IAM Hall, 3830 S. MeridianNoon to 4 p.m.

Sept. 1 – Martin Luther King County Central Labor Council

Lower Woodland Park Shelters 1-3, Seattle11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

What success looks likeBy Steve SpyridisSPEEA Council chair

As you may have heard, SPEEA was successful in winning the elec-

tion to represent workers in the Wichita Technical and Professional Unit (WTPU).

You may be thinking, what does this have to do with us in Puget Sound and what are the lessons learned from this recent attack against SPEEA? Having been in Wichita during this recertification effort, I wanted to offer my per-spective on how it relates to us in Puget Sound and, for that matter, to all our sites where there are SPEEA- represented employees.

In talking to members and nonmembers during my time in Wichita, they expressed the same issues that we have here in Puget Sound. The employer does not understand, or more impor-tantly does not appreciate, the value and con-cerns of its employees. This made me realize that solidarity is important now more than ever.

The other comment I heard from a number of individuals was: “What and who is SPEEA? I would share that SPEEA is not some large corporation, but rather it is each and every one of us. The institution that is called SPEEA is successful ONLY if we (you and me) educate ourselves and others in the bargaining unit on the values of belonging to an institution where its sole objective is to protect and serve those it represents.

The statement “what and who is SPEEA?”

is quite disturbing. Half the battle in any negotiations is educating the membership. Being successful in this endeavor is a differ-ent animal. If we look at the rudimentary elements in being successful in our negotia-tions here in Puget Sound, one big aspect is educating our members. That means we need to touch all of those in the bargaining unit here in Puget Sound. You may say, no big deal, send out e-mails or articles in the Spotlite, SPEEA newsletter or post flyers in the workplace - explaining what we want in a good contract - and call it as I like to say, “done-done”! Unfortunately, this does not ensure success. We (that means you and I) need to go and TALK TO THEM. We must remember that our success in getting a good contract is not based on the negotiating team; it is based on the members speaking up and telling the negotiation teams what our wants are and what they are not. I guarantee, if you are silent, you will not be heard.

I firmly believe that if we want to be success-ful during this negotiation period, we all need to do our part, communicate and educate the members on the issues at hand and encourage them to speak up.

The true horsepower comes from us speaking together as one very loud voice! By working together, we can achieve a contract in December that we all can be proud of!

For negotiations and upcoming events info, sign up for home email at www.speea.org

AUGUST 2008SpotLiteSpotLite 6

Ancient labor unions, temples and two movementsBy Ross Rieder, presidentPacific NW Labor History Association

Why do we call that building, which is basically a central location for labor union offices, a labor temple – beside

the fact that we are a nation with a deep religious past, and many early worker organizations needed, for their own protection, to hide their existence?

For the past few months, I’ve been plowing through C. Osborne Ward’s “The Ancient Lowly,” a history of unions from early recorded times to the acceptance of Christianity by the Roman Emperor Constantine.

Especially in the Roman period, there was favorable labor relations law, some initiated by a man known as Numa who was supposedly the second president of the Roman empire. Subsequently, other enabling laws were known as the Solonic Law.

In the pre-Christian era, the upper classes had many gods. And they had fabulous temples. The working men (and women), and, natu-rally, slaves, were not allowed to worship in the same temples as the upper classes. Nor were they allowed to worship the same gods.

They were encouraged to have their own gods and their own temples … which they did.

Since these were unions, their goals were aims such as dignity, respect, and solidarity. They often fed their local members at a common table, exhibiting, if you will, a bit of early socialism.

It is extremely interesting to note that the rite of baptism was used by many unions as part of the initiation process.

When the often embattled young congregations of the new “Christian era” came along a couple thousand years ago, one of the few institutions that accepted them, both for their mutual goals mentioned above, but for their mutually embat-tled state, was the existing labor union commu-nity. Early Christian congregations often were welcomed to meet and “do their thing” in the mutually acceptable edifices of union temples.

So, it is no stretch of the imagination to see the connection between workers, unions, temples of labor and the new struggling congregations. What is harder, to me, to imagine is what occurred to create the perceived differences in the goals of the two movements. It would be interesting to consider which movement, if either, has kept closest to the goals described above.

[Editor’s note: In case you were wondering, Rieder wrote about this subject in the December 2007 Spotlite. He’s still reading the book, which is 1,400 pages long, and continues to find more he wants to share on the subject.]

‘Be Like Ed’ honoree

Marissa Singleton, Associate Technical Fel low in CAS Navigation Services, is this month’s

“Be Like Ed” honoree.

In nominating Singleton, Chip Meserole wrote: “Marissa is constantly pushing for advancements in airspace modeling and management; leading the use of new tools and expanding their capabilities. Her passion and enthusiasm for flight has also expressed itself in her pursuit of a private pilot’s license. Marissa’s outgoing and friendly manner, combined with her technical acumen and integrity, make her a marvelous mentor.”

H.O.P.E. award comes full circle

Donna Castaneda, SPEEA Midwest Council chair, received this year’s Stephen Pezzini Helping Other

People Excel (HOPE) award, but you won’t find it at her office. Instead, it’s hanging in the SPEEA Wichita office with a plaque which reads:

Without all the support of staff, CRs and mem-bers from the Midwest, Texas & Northwest, th i s award would not have been made pos-sible for me to achieve. I dedi-cate this award back to the Midwest office in appreciation of allowing me to fulfill another piece of my dream. My thanks to you, for supporting me.

Castaneda earned the award for her tireless efforts on behalf of her community – volunteer-ing for the Wichita Heart Walk and Juneteenth parade, for example, and also going above and beyond for the members – most recently during the re-certification campaign.

About the plaque, she said: “They gave me the ability to take on these projects. I know I wouldn’t have received the award without them. I want to show them my appreciation.”

Opportunities to get involved in your union

If you’re looking for opportunities to support SPEEA, consider applying for the following volunteer openings.

Labor Council• : As a SPEEA delegate, you can attend local labor councils (by county, state and region in Washington and Oregon). Councils advocate for labor issues through political education on laws that protect work-ers. The councils also support community service outreach. Most councils meet in the evenings once or twice a month. If you’ve been a member of SPEEA for one year, you are eligible. To apply, e-mail robinf@speea.org. Deadline: Aug. 18.

Judicial Review Committee• (JRC): This committee is the top body within SPEEA, having the responsibility to interpret govern-ing documents and act as a final hearing body for election charges within SPEEA. The com-mittee meets as needed. Three members serve staggered three-year terms. Applicants must have been active in SPEEA during two of the past five years. To apply, e-mail terryh@speea.org. Deadline: Sept. 5.

When applying, include your name and contact information as well as a brief statement about your interest/qualifications.

Negotiations at Spirit continue

WICHITA – As of press time, the SPEEA negotiation team was still in Main Table negotiations

with Spirit AeroSystems. Top issues are sal-ary adjustments, a bonus and retirement.

Negotiations come at the midpoint in the six-year Wichita Technical and Professional Unit (WTPU) contract. The Wichita Engineering Unit (WEU) contract is in the third year of a four-year agreement at Spirit.

Main Table talks began July 7. SPEEA mem-bers in each bargaining unit will vote on the negotiated agreement for their unit.

SPEEA represents more than 3,100 employees at Spirit.

Donna Castaneda at the Juneteenth parade.

Getting fit – find what motivates youGetting fit – find what motivates you

The Northwest Health and Wellness committee wanted to inspire people to become more active. That’s what led to the essay contest earlier this year. The committee wanted to share all of the essays, but for space reasons, limited it to the ones who won the random drawing.

‘Purple cruiser’

At 42, I found myself obese, unhappy with my lack of fitness and facing my type-two diabetes escalating towards insulin depen-

dency. I work with avid bike riders, so I decided to give it a try. It was the most fun I have had in years! The sun on my face and the wind in my hair took me back to my childhood spent on my precious purple cruiser! In the beginning, I could barely ride my first 17 miles on the Interurban Trail, but soon I had built myself up to three days a week (a 44-mile commute to work). I ride year-round and love the feeling of freedom and joy it brings me. My health has improved drastically through proper diet and my bike riding so that I no longer need any medication for my diabetes.

Julie A. Cooper, Aero/Noise/Propulsion Laboratories

Editor’s note: Julie climbed mountains and started snowboard-ing, too. But knee surgery put the brakes on her fitness goals. “ I’m back at the bottom of the hill, but I’ll climb back up,” she said.

When exercise is boringI find just plain exercising boring. So I decided to combine one of the more entertaining forms of exercise – bicycling – with quality time with my son. We get out as often as we can on our mountain bikes on a variety of rides. We’ve taken quick ones around the neighborhood and longer ones on some of the regional trials. The highly adventurous ride on Iron Horse Trail from Snoqualmie Pass to North Bend is surprisingly easy, with the added unique-ness of the 2.5 mile tunnel at the pass. Mountain bikes work fine on paved trails, too, so we don’t

limit ourselves. The trail from Maple Valley to Lake Washington is almost flat and is almost devoid of street crossings. Also consider off-peak times of year for more wide-open trails.

Tim Schroeder, Tooling Photo Grammetry

‘You’re shrinking’

I’ve been heavy ever since my first child was born in 1980. I gained 53 pounds in my pregnancy and

never lost much afterwards. As a stay-at-home mom, there wasn’t much to do on a military base with no car, so I started taking the bus and the kids every-where. I pushed the pram, rode the bus, loaded it onto the streetcars of Germany and had a grand time, but I kept gaining weight. Then we transferred back to the states – Little Rock, Arkansas to be exact, when

Clinton was running for governor.

A year later, with a failed marriage, moving across the country to be back home with family and try-ing to figure out what I was going to do for a living was harder than I thought. I continued to gain weight.

Three years of college, 13 years at Boeing, and I ended up with ‘Boeing Butt.’ Laid off after 9/11,

I went back to school, got another degree and couldn’t find work in that field. When I got the call from Boeing, I whooped for joy. After being back for a year and a half, I decided I needed to make some major changes in my life - weight being the number one priority.

On Aug. 8, 2007, I had a gastric bypass and haven’t looked back. I lost 88 pounds in five months and continue to lose more each week. So far I’ve lost two sizes in clothes, but wow, what a difference in those sizes. I put my fat pants on the other day to see how much I had lost. I was amazed to

see how much difference 88 pounds makes.

If you ask me, I would do it again in a heart beat. There are some things I would do better along the way, but for the most part, I’ll never look back.

My favorite comment came from someone I hadn’t seen for a couple of weeks – only a month after my surgery.

When I turned around to face her in a meeting, she exclaimed, “You’re shrinking!”

Debi Pennington, Flight Controls

‘Younger next year’Five years ago, my husband was depressed and overweight. I was miserable, headachy, with no energy and a lot of other ailments. He couldn’t go hiking any more because his feet hurt, and I thought bike riding was boring, so we had no common ground, and the result was neither of us were doing anything.

After a long talk with myself, I mentioned to my husband that he could train me for the Seattle to Portland bike ride. His eyes lit up and our training program began. We rode that STP 2003 with my son (in his 20s). That was just the beginning.

We found the book, “Younger Next Year,” which convinced us biking a lot was good, but we had to take care of the rest of our bodies, too. I started walking and going to the Boeing gym.

Results? I’m 56 and can do pushups for the first time in my life. I can also lift things without hurting myself.

I commute to work eight months out of the year on my bike and in May, was the captain of the Boeing Bonzo Bikers in the commute-to-work challenge.

Mimi Torchia Boothby, Noise Laboratory

7AUGUST 2008

SpotLiteSpotLite

Tim Schroeder

Mimi Torchia Boothby

Julie Cooper

Periodicals Postage Paid at Seattle, Washington

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