Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has
reversed course on pension benefits for married couples who are gay
and lesbian.
In November, Boeing said passage of a
gay marriage law in Washington state would not affect such benefits.
The company, which was founded in
Seattle and maintains a large number of employees in the state, said
at the time it would likely deny “pension survivor benefits to
same-sex married couples.”
In the course of contract negotiations,
the company told union representative Ray Goforth that such benefits
are covered by federal law and that Boeing does not plan to
voluntarily extend the benefits to the spouses of gay employees.
“Their answer was that they had no
intention of granting pension survivor benefits to legally married
same-sex couples because they didn't have to,” Goforth told Seattle
alternative The
Stranger. “We are profoundly disappointed that they would
use a loophole to engage in institutionalized discrimination.”
The
Stranger reported on Friday, that Boeing had had a change of
heart. New contract language states that “Boeing will extend
pension survivor benefits to all spouses, as defined under State or
Federal law whichever defines the same sex person as a spouse.”
Pending legislation which seeks to make
Illinois the 10th state to legalize gay nuptials could
have played a factor in the decision. Boeing is headquartered in
Chicago.