Boeing’s engineers and technical workers have overwhelmingly rejected the company’s proposed four-year contract, raising the prospect of a strike that could further disrupt the planemaker’s aircraft development and certification programmes.
Members of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), which represents around 17,000 Boeing employees, voted against the tentative agreement and separately authorized their negotiating team to call a strike when the current contract expires on October 6.
The union said 64% of engineers and approximately 72% of technical workers rejected the proposed agreement. No further negotiations between Boeing and SPEEA have been scheduled.
The rejection comes amid growing concerns among employees over wages, inflation and compensation compared with competing aerospace companies, particularly in the high-cost Seattle area where most SPEEA members are based.
Wage proposal becomes key sticking point
Several union members told Reuters that the proposed wage increases did not adequately reflect the rising cost of living or compensation levels offered by rival employers.
Under Boeing’s proposal, wage increases would have been linked to inflation, subject to a 3% cap, as well as individual performance and other company-determined metrics. Union members argued that the inflation cap could leave their salaries falling behind rising prices.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index for the Seattle area increased 4.5% over the year through July.
Boeing said the proposed agreement would have delivered the largest wage increase for SPEEA members in four decades.
SPEEA negotiating team member Katheryn Durkee said workers wanted long-term careers at Boeing rather than simply jobs, highlighting broader concerns over compensation and employment conditions.
Strike could affect aircraft programmes
The strike authorization adds another layer of uncertainty for Boeing as it works through several major aircraft development and certification programmes.
A work stoppage by engineers and technical specialists could further delay certification campaigns for Boeing’s 737 Max 10 and 777-9 aircraft, both of which are already several years behind their original schedules.
SPEEA negotiating team member Kevin Boyd said the strike authorization reflected the strength of members’ concerns and their willingness to take industrial action if necessary.
The union said its negotiating team plans to survey members to determine what changes would be required for a revised four-year agreement to gain approval.
Boeing activates contingency plans
Boeing said it was disappointed by the rejection and has begun implementing its contingency plans in preparation for a possible strike.
Ben Nimmergut, Boeing’s vice president and functional chief engineer for production engineering, said the company would redirect funds originally intended for investment in its SPEEA-represented workforce toward preparations for a potential work stoppage.
Boeing said the contingency measures are intended to protect its wider workforce and customers while maintaining the progress made over the past two years.
Long-running contract dispute
The latest vote marks a significant development in SPEEA’s relationship with Boeing. The union has not negotiated a new contract for its Northwest members since 2012, although members approved extensions in 2016 and 2020.
Engineers and technicians negotiate collectively with Boeing but vote separately on proposed agreements.
SPEEA members last went on strike in 2000, when a work stoppage lasted 40 days.
The potential industrial action also comes less than two years after another major Boeing labour dispute. In 2024, approximately 33,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers went on strike for seven weeks, bringing commercial aircraft production in the Seattle area to a halt.
Pressure mounts on Boeing
A potential SPEEA strike would add to the operational and financial pressures facing Boeing as the company seeks to restore production stability, advance delayed aircraft programmes and rebuild relationships with its workforce.
For Boeing, reaching a revised agreement with its engineers and technical specialists will be critical to avoiding another prolonged labour disruption. For SPEEA members, the vote signals that compensation, career development and protection against inflation remain central to the negotiations.
With the current contract set to expire on October 6, both sides now face a limited window to find common ground before the dispute could escalate into a strike.
