Boeing Engineers Reject Contract Offers, Authorize Strike
Boeing engineers have voted to reject their employer's contract offers and authorize a strike. The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) union, representing over 17,000 members at Boeing facilities in Washington state, Oregon, California, and Utah, conducted an online vote that wrapped up on August 21.
The proposed contracts included wage pool increases totaling 29.4% over four years, with raises given according to management discretion under a merit system. However, union members were not sold on the deals, citing uncertainty about Boeing's commitment to the Puget Sound region.
The rejection vote was particularly close in the professional unit, where engineers and scientists voted down their proposed contract by 64% (7,238-4,027). The technical unit also rejected its offer, with a 72% margin (2,795-1,094).
The union has scheduled a strike if no replacement agreement is reached after the current collective bargaining agreements expire on October 6. SPEEA members last went on strike in 2000, staying out for 40 days in what was then the largest white-collar strike in U.S. history.