Boeing Workers Reject Contract Offer, Union Prepares for Strike
Boeing workers have rejected a contract offer from the company, potentially leading to a strike. The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) union represents 17,000 employees at Boeing's facilities in Washington and nearby states.
The union voted on Friday to reject the contract offer, with nearly 88% of professional unit members and over 90% of tech unit members approving strike authorization. The current contract expires on October 6.
Boeing had offered a series of wage increases that could compound to 31.9% over the length of the contract, including a 3% general wage increase this year and yearly increases to wage pools spread among the workforce. However, SPEEA's negotiating team stated that the membership has 'deeply mistrust' Boeing management due to past decisions to move engineering work out of Washington, accusations of prioritizing production over quality and safety, and failure to keep up with inflation.
The union is seeking significant improvements to the last offer and is prepared to call a strike if negotiations do not improve. The strike would not begin until the current contract expires on October 6.