The union representing about 17,000 Boeing engineers and technicians will recommend approval of a new contract proposal that will be presented to the members this week. According to a statement by the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, its negotiating team reached the agreement on September 12, less than a month after a previous proposal was rejected.
The current contract expires on October 6, and the union members have already voted to strike if a new agreement is not in place then.
SPEEA members at Boeing comprise two separate voting units, the Professional Unit (engineers and scientists) and the Technical Unit (analysts/technicians.) In rejecting the August proposal, the union cited its members “deep mistrust of Boeing leaders”.
The two sides have been in negotiation for a new contract since July 1. It is the first time that Boeing and SPEEA have negotiated a full contract since 2012; union members approved contract extensions in 2016 and 2020.
"Our final contract offer addresses the top priorities identified by our employees and SPEEA’s bargaining teams, including an immediate wage increase and larger wage pools with guarantees," stated Boeing vice president and chief engineer for production engineering Ben Nimmergut.
According to details announced by SPEEA, the new proposed four-year agreement would deliver an initial 10% wage increase, and 4% annual raises plus merit-based increases each year from 2027 through 2030. The union also noted that the offer includes new work-from-home policies and overtime limits for members of the professional unit members.
Details of the new contract proposal will be presented to SPEEA professional and technical unit bargaining unit councils at a regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, September 17, and then shared with the general membership.
“It isn’t everything we’d asked for, but it represents a real step forward toward improving our pay and work lives and rebuilding the relationship between Boeing leadership and our union’s members,” according to SPEEA’s statement