Boeing Engineers Accept New Contract, Averting Strike Threat

Boeing engineers have approved a new four-year labor contract, averting a potential strike that could have delayed aircraft certification and delivery plans. The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), which represents about 17,000 Boeing employees, announced the approval on October 1.

The agreement includes a guaranteed 10% pay raise upon ratification, as well as annual increases of 4%, with an additional 2% possible based on performance. This is a significant improvement over the initial offer, which provided for a pay increase tied to inflation and capped at 3%, plus a possible performance-based increase of up to 2.5%. The new contract was accepted by both units, with 68% of voters in the professional unit approving it and more than 53% supporting it in the technical unit.

The potential strike had threatened to delay certification of the narrowbody 737 MAX 10 and widebody 777X, as well as impact Boeing's plans to increase production and speed up aircraft deliveries. However, with the new contract approved, Boeing can proceed with its business recovery and meet its commitments to customers.

Ben Nimmergut, Boeing's vice president and functional chief engineer for manufacturing engineering, expressed his satisfaction with the voting results, stating that the company looks forward to working with employees to continue their business recovery and meet customer commitments. This is a significant development for Boeing, which had faced the possibility of its largest white-collar strike in U.S. history.