Engineers Authorize Potential Strike Against Boeing

A potential strike by Boeing's engineers and technical workers is looming after their union rejected the company's contract offer.

The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) represents about 17,000 employees and voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if negotiations fail. The Technical Unit, which includes analysts, designers, technicians, and other specialists, rejected its proposed contract by an even wider margin of 71.9%.

The union members stated their objections centered less on pay than on trust: engineering decisions being overruled in favor of production schedules, and Boeing's continued movement of jobs out of Washington, including plans announced earlier this year to move as many as 300 engineering jobs to South Carolina.

Roughly 92% of eligible union members voted, with more than 88% supporting strike authorization. The rejected offer would have raised average engineer pay by nearly 30% over four years, added three paid days off, reduced mandatory overtime and expanded virtual work options.