Boeing Workers Reject Contract, Authorize Strike Amid Safety Concerns

Boeing workers have rejected a contract offer and authorized a strike in a vote completed on Friday. The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) said its 17,000 members at Boeing facilities in Washington and nearby states voted down the proposed contract with significant majorities.

The professional unit, representing about 13,000 engineers and scientists, rejected the offer by a margin of 64%, while nearly 72% of the technical unit, comprising about 4,000 analysts, technicians, planners, and specialists, also turned it down.

The union said strike authorization passed with near-unanimous support in both units, with 88% backing it in the professional unit and 90% in the technical unit. The current contract expires on October 6, but any strike would not begin until then.