Boeing Engineers Reject Contract Offer Amid Inflation Concerns
Boeing's engineers and technical workers have rejected the company's four-year contract offer. The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), Boeing's largest white-collar union, has given its negotiating team the power to declare a strike when the contract expires in October.
The 17,000 SPEEA members overwhelmingly voted against the contract, which offered wage increases tied to inflation, capped at 3%, and individual performance. However, several union members who rejected the offer expressed concerns that capping inflation-based raises would nearly guarantee their salaries fall behind inflation.
The Consumer Price Index in the Seattle area, where most SPEEA members work, rose 4.5% over the past year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Boeing's offer was seen as a significant improvement compared to previous contract negotiations.