Boeing's 17,000 engineers and technical workers rejected a four-year contract offer Friday, with 71.9 percent voting against it. The vote grants the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA)—Boeing's largest white-collar union—strike authorization when the current agreement expires in October.
The union's two bargaining councils representing engineers and technicians voted separately; neither endorsed the deal despite support from SPEEA's negotiating team. Of the votes cast, 2,795 opposed the offer and 1,094 backed it.
A SPEEA work stoppage would halt certification campaigns for the 737 Max 10 and 777-9, both already several years behind schedule. Boeing's commercial airplane production in the Seattle area experienced a seven-week halt in 2024 when roughly 33,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers walked out, compounding delivery delays and customer frustration.
Engineers and technicians objected primarily to a 3 percent cap on inflation-based raises. The Seattle area's Consumer Price Index rose 4.5 percent over the past year, eroding real wage gains. SPEEA members said the raise ceiling would leave their compensation materially behind inflation.
Boeing's offer included wage increases tied to inflation, capped at 3 percent, plus individual performance metrics. CEO Kelly Ortberg told Wall Street analysts in July that the company initiated early negotiations to support employees and provide business clarity.
A SPEEA spokesperson said the union plans to survey members to determine what contract terms would secure approval. Boeing did not respond to a request for comment.
