Boeing Hires Contractors Amid Labor Dispute with White-Collar Union
Boeing is advertising job openings for engineering and technical roles in what appears to be an escalation of its labor dispute with its white-collar union at its commercial airplane division.
The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) rejected Boeing's contract offer last Friday, prompting the company to begin implementing a contingency plan in case of a strike after the current contract ends on October 6.
A strike by SPEEA's 17,000 members could further delay certification of Boeing's 737 MAX 10 and 777-9, both of which are already years behind schedule.
Boeing's last two major union contract negotiations ended in extended strikes, a seven-week walkout by roughly 33,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) at Boeing's commercial airplanes division in 2024 and a 101-day strike by about 3,200 IAM members at Boeing's defense division in 2025.
Boeing declined to comment on the contract job postings, but its spokesperson said 'we want to reach an agreement before the current contract expires and look forward to finding a solution with SPEEA at the table.'