Boeing Engineers Reject Contract Offer Amid Inflation Concerns

Boeing engineers and technical workers have overwhelmingly rejected the company's four-year contract offer. The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), which represents 17,000 Boeing employees, announced that 64% of engineers and 72% of techs voted against the tentative agreement.

The vote also gave the negotiating team the power to declare a strike when the current contract expires on October 6. No new talks are scheduled between Boeing and SPEEA, with Boeing implementing its strike contingency plan instead.

Boeing's vice-president and functional chief engineer for production engineering, Ben Nimmergut, said they have 'no choice but to implement our contingency plan' due to the responsibility to their workforce and customers. A work stoppage by SPEEA members could further delay Boeing's certification campaigns for its 737 Max 10 and 777-9 planes.

SPEEA members are seeking higher wage increases, citing that the proposed cap of 3% inflation-based raises would nearly guarantee their salaries fall behind inflation in the Seattle area. The Consumer Price Index rose 4.5% over the past year for the Seattle area.