Boeing Engineers Reject Contract Offer Amid Wages 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) union announced that its 17,000 members voted down the proposal by a significant margin, with 64% of engineers and 72% of techs opposing it.
The rejection is seen as a major setback for Boeing, which had touted the offer as the largest wage increase for SPEEA in 40 years. However, union officials said that the wages were not high enough to keep up with the cost of living in the Seattle area, where most members work.
One of the main concerns was the cap on inflation-based raises at 3%, which is below the current Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 4.5% for the Seattle area. Union officials said that this would mean salaries would fall behind inflation if the offer were accepted.
Boeing's vice-president and functional chief engineer for production engineering, Ben Nimmergut, said that the company is now implementing its strike contingency plan and diverting funds to prepare for a potential walkout.