Wichita ? Workers trying to decertify the second-largest union at Boeing Co.’s Wichita facility have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board containing enough signatures to force a vote on the issue.

Filed late Tuesday afternoon at the NLRB’s Overland Park office, the petition contained nearly 1,200 signatures, and organizers were continuing to collect additional names, said Shirley Moon, a Boeing programmer analyst and one of the drive’s organizers.

“We feel really good,” Moon said. “The agent at NLRB said in most cases it is not in the union’s best interest to fight this. He sees us having an election down the road.”

The union, the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, represents 3,460 Boeing workers in Wichita. Union foes said they needed signatures from 30 percent of workers represented in the bargaining group.

Michael McConnell, assistant to the NLRB’s regional director, said the board was now in the process of evaluating signatures. The next step will be to get all parties — the petitioners, the union and Boeing — together to set up an election. A hearing would be held, probably later this month, in the event of opposition to an election.

If all parties agree, an election could be held within six weeks, McConnell said. If a hearing is needed, the election would be held within eight weeks of the filing.

Bob Brewer, the union’s Midwest director, said union leaders were now discussing their options and it would be a few days before the union made a formal response to the NLRB.

“Once they did file, reality sets in fully,” Brewer said. “We had anticipated this.”

The petition comes in the midst of contract talks. The current contract expires Feb. 19.

“This petition takes away our ability to bargain with the Boeing Co. … We think this could possibly impact the decision making within the company in regards to our solidarity in regards to the (contract) proposals,” Brewer said.

Boeing said it would not oppose an election on the issue.

“The company supports the right of employees to choose if they want to be represented,” said Boeing spokesman Dick Ziegler.

Despite the petition, union officials believe they will retain representation in an election because of the high number of union-paying members and support among nonunion workers in the unit.

About 45 percent of members in the represented bargaining unit are union members, Brewer said, noting union membership has increased in the last week to 10 days in the wake of the Dec. 1 resignation of Boeing Chief Executive Phil Condit.

Petition organizers have been collecting signatures since May 24, and said the NLRB has allowed them to continue collecting more.

“I think the majority just feel the Boeing wage and compensation package is good on its own merit — and we don’t need a third party in the middle,” Moon said.