Boeing Union Rejects Contract Proposal, Approves Strike Authorization

Boeing's engineering and technician union, the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), has voted to reject the aerospace company's latest contract proposal. The union represents around 20,000 aerospace professionals at Boeing sites in Washington, Oregon, California, and Utah.

The proposed contracts offered a 29.4% aggregate wage pool increase over four years, which is the largest wage-pool increase for union members since 1983. The company also suggested three extra days of paid leave per year, lower limits on mandatory overtime, and more virtual work opportunities.

However, despite these benefits, the union's professional unit representing nearly 13,000 engineers and scientists voted against the proposed contract by 64.3%, while the technical unit with around 4,000 analysts, designers, technicians, and other specialists also rejected it by 71.9%. The union's bargaining units have approved strike authorization measures, with 87.8% of the professional unit and 89.7% of the technical unit voting in favor.

The current contracts expire on October 6, and Boeing has announced that it will implement its strike contingency plan. Union negotiators pointed to the Boeing merger with McDonnell Douglas nearly 30 years ago as a turning point for the company's shift towards enlarging shareholder returns at the expense of employee benefits and working conditions.