Boeing Advances Labor Talks With New Union Offer

Key Moments

Offer Sent to SPEEA for Review

SEATTLE, July 30 (Reuters) – Boeing said on Thursday that it has delivered a contract proposal to the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), which represents roughly 17,000 engineers and technical workers in its commercial airplane division.

The union disclosed on its website that its negotiating team has endorsed the tentative agreement. However, Boeing and SPEEA did not immediately release any specific terms or economic details of the proposed contract.

Union Negotiators Back Proposal

In a statement on the union’s website, the SPEEA negotiating team said the proposal “offers real and meaningful value to the membership, delivers real positive change to work/life balance and delivers on the membership’s priorities.”

Union leaders representing the engineers and technicians bargaining units are expected to examine the agreement’s provisions and issue a formal recommendation to rank-and-file members next week.

Contract Timeline and Strike Risk

The existing SPEEA contract is scheduled to expire on October 6. With that deadline approaching, the outcome of the current talks carries significant implications for Boeing’s operations.

The union has indicated that a strike remains a possibility if no acceptable agreement is reached. Any work stoppage could create additional setbacks for Boeing’s certification activities for the 737 MAX 10 – the largest version of its single-aisle aircraft family – and the 777-9, the company’s largest jetliner. Boeing is already years behind schedule on these certification programs, which rely heavily on engineering resources.

Recent Labor Negotiation History

Boeing has been engaged in three major rounds of union contract negotiations over the past three years. The prior two talks – covering commercial aircraft workers and a separate unit of defense workers, both organized under the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers – were resolved only after prolonged strikes.

Earlier this year, in January, Boeing reached an agreement with approximately 1,600 SPEEA members at the former Spirit AeroSystems facility in Wichita, Kansas. That contract included a $6,000 ratification bonus, annual wage increases, enhancements to medical and retirement benefits, and an additional six days of paid time off per year.

Recent SPEEA Agreement in Wichita – Key Terms