Boeing Engineers Authorize Strike as Company Seeks to Ramp Up Production

Boeing's engineers and technical workers have authorized a strike against the company, which could disrupt its efforts to ramp up production of its popular 737 aircraft. The strike is set to begin after October 6, when the current contracts expire.

The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), which represents Boeing's engineers and technical workers, rejected the company's contract offers on August 21. The rejection was overwhelming, with around 88% and 90% of members voting against the offer in the two SPEEA units.

Boeing has been ramping up production of its 737 aircraft to meet growing demand, but a strike would likely halt engineering support for the production line. This could impact Boeing's ability to sustain a production rate of 47 aircraft per month, which it aims to achieve by the end of the year.

Boeing has been working on increasing production since January, when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) raised the limit from 38 to 42 aircraft per month. The company began transitioning to a new production line in July and delivered 171 commercial aircraft in the second quarter, a 14% increase from the same period last year.