Boeing Workers End Strike Threat with New Contract Deal

Boeing workers have reached a deal to avoid a potential strike that could have stalled work on two long-delayed jetliners and slowed aircraft deliveries. The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), which represents about 17,000 Boeing workers, announced its members had approved a new four-year contract offer.

The SPEEA negotiation team said the deal secured 'many victories' that were previously thought impossible to achieve. Members now need to work with Boeing and pressure management to rebuild trust that has eroded over the past decades and restore aerospace professionals and technicians as the company's main focus.

The contract proposal included a 10% wage increase upon ratification, annual raises of 4%, and the possibility of an additional 2% pay hike based on performance. About 68% of professional unit members voted in favor of the deal, while more than 53% of technical unit members approved it.

The union's last strike against Boeing was in 2000, when engineers and technical workers walked out for 40 days over pay and benefits. A work stoppage this time could have delayed certification efforts for the 737 MAX 10 narrowbody and 777X widebody jets.