Boeing engineering union votes down contract and authorizes strike

The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) voted on Friday to reject Boeing's four-year contract proposal and to authorize a strike, though any work stoppage would not begin until the existing contract ends on Oct. 6. The union, which represents about 17,000 engineers, scientists and technical staff at Boeing facilities in Washington and surrounding states, said 92% of eligible members participated, with 64% of the professional unit and nearly 72% of the technical unit rejecting the deal. Strike authorization was approved by roughly 88% of the professional unit and 90% of the technical unit.

SPEEA’s negotiating team said members “deeply mistrust Boeing management,” citing past relocations of engineering work, concerns that safety and quality were sacrificed for speed, and wages that lagged behind inflation. The union highlighted the need for explicit protections and a commitment to keep work in the Pacific Northwest. It plans to survey members to define the terms needed for a new agreement.

Boeing responded that it will implement a contingency plan to maintain aircraft deliveries and other customer commitments if a strike occurs, though the company declined to disclose details. Vice president and functional chief engineer for production engineering Ben Nimmergut said the company was “disappointed” in the vote and emphasized that the offer positioned employees “among the market leaders in pay and benefits in the Pacific Northwest.” He added that Boeing has “no choice” but to move forward with its plan to protect the broader workforce and customers.

The proposed contract would have raised base salaries by $45,000 for professional employees and $35,000 for technical staff over four years, along with a 3% wage increase in the first year and subsequent annual increases tied to inflation and performance. SPEEA’s negotiating team had previously highlighted benefits such as the largest wage-pool increase since 1983, additional vacation days, limits on mandatory overtime and twice-annual meetings with Boeing executives. However, union members expressed that trust in management’s commitments remained insufficient.

If a strike were to occur, it could disrupt Boeing’s commercial production in the Puget Sound region and delay certification of the 737 MAX 10 and 777X programs. The last SPEEA strike took place in 2000, lasting 40 days, and was the first major white-collar walkout since the union’s founding in 1946.