EVERETT — Members of Boeing’s largest white-collar union, SPEEA, on Friday rejected the company’s proposed four-year contracts for engineers and technical workers, while overwhelmingly authorizing their leaders to call a strike if talks fail before the current agreements expire in early October.
The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, or SPEEA, announced the results late Friday. In the Professional Unit, which covers engineers and scientists, 64.25% of valid ballots rejected the offer, with 7,238 votes against and 4,027 in favor. Strike authorization passed with 87.82% support, or 9,516 yes votes. Turnout reached 95.57% of the 11,864 authorized ballots.
“Your voices and votes have made clear that the proposed contract terms fall short for members and that negotiations with Boeing must continue,” the negotiation team released in a statement. “In this vote, you also told us that without significant improvements to the offer, you are prepared to strike until our concerns are addressed.”
In the Technical Unit, representing technicians, analysts, designers and specialists, 71.87% rejected the proposal, with 2,795 no votes to 1,094 yes. Strike authorization cleared with 89.71% approval, or 3,348 yes votes. Turnout was 92.89% of 4,208 authorized ballots.
The current Professional and Technical contracts, last fully renegotiated more than a decade ago and extended twice, expire October 6, 2026. Negotiations began in July amid Boeing’s efforts to stabilize after production and quality challenges. The company presented what it labeled a best-and-final offer in late July. SPEEA’s negotiation team had unanimously endorsed the offers after weeks of bargaining that both sides described as collaborative. The contracts would have run through 2030.
Key terms of the now rejected offer included:
- A 3% general wage increase upon ratification, retroactive to Feb. 20, 2026
- Annual salary adjustment funds starting at 7% in 2027 and settling at 5.5% thereafter
- A guaranteed minimum raise tied to inflation but capped at 3%
- A 40% boost in the target for the annual employee incentive plan
- 40 restricted stock units valued at more than $9,000
- Three extra paid leave days
- Limits on mandatory overtime
- No increases in health care costs for members
Union leaders called the wage pools the largest since 1983, projecting compounded increases of about 29.4% to 31.9% when including promotions and out-of-sequence adjustments.
Boeing said the package would have raised average base salaries for professionals from about $152,000 to $197,000 and for technical workers from $119,000 to $154,000 over the term, positioning employees among Pacific Northwest market leaders in pay and benefits.
Boeing expressed disappointment and said it was activating its strike contingency plan, diverting funds previously earmarked for the SPEEA workforce.
“With the disappointing vote results, we are now diverting those dollars to execute our plan and prepare for a potential strike,” Boeing released in a statement on the rejection of its latest contract offer. “That means the retroactive pay and higher incentive plan target for 2026 are no longer available. We have no choice but to implement our strike contingency plan. We have a responsibility to the rest of our workforce and our customers to build on our progress over the last two years and maintain our momentum. No further talks were scheduled. The earliest a strike could begin is Oct. 7.”
SPEEA has launched a member survey, open through August 26, to identify improvements needed for ratification. The Contract Action Team planned meetings to gather feedback. Negotiators said they remain willing to resume discussions and seek an agreement before the deadline, while retaining the option to strike based on the authorization vote.
IAM members rejected its initial offer back in September 2024 that its leadership had supported, authorized a strike with a 96% vote, and walked out for 53 days after the contract expired. Boeing presented multiple subsequent proposals before workers ratified a deal featuring roughly 38% general wage increases over four years, a larger ratification bonus and retirement enhancements.
SPEEA’s largest units are the Northwest Professional Unit (engineers and scientists at Boeing sites) and Technical Unit (designers, analysts, technicians and specialists). Smaller units cover pilots and employees at Spirit AeroSystems and other firms. The union negotiates contracts, handles workplace representation, and advocates for technical excellence, safety and career development.
Formally IFPTE Local 2001, SPEEA is a professional aerospace union founded in 1946 by Boeing engineers in Seattle. Originally the Seattle Professional Engineering Employees Association, it changed its name in 1999 to reflect broader representation and affiliated with the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, AFL-CIO. Today, SPEEA represents roughly 17,000 to 19,000 aerospace professionals across five states—primarily Washington, with members also in Oregon, California, Utah and Kansas with headquarter in Tukwila, with halls in both Everett and Wichita.
Author: Mario Lotmore
