Boeing avoids strike as thousands of employees approve new contracts
Boeing workers union approves contract offer to avert strike
Boeing workers represented by the SPEEA union approved new contracts for about 16,000 employees, averting a potential strike.
SEATTLE, WA - Boeing workers voted Thursday to approve new contracts covering roughly 16,000 employees, averting a potential strike scheduled for next week.
What we know:
The agreement secures an immediate 10% wage increase starting Friday for engineers, scientists, designers, analysts, and other technical personnel.
The majority of these employees are located in Washington, according to the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), with workers also in Oregon, California, and Utah.
Union members previously rejected an earlier contract proposal in August, raising the possibility of a work stoppage.
Boeing offers 10% raise to WA workers to head off union strike
The deal offers an immediate 10% wage hike upon approval, a 4% raise in 2027, and guaranteed 4% minimum annual increases through 2030.
Salary increases and financial details
By the numbers:
Under the newly approved terms, employees will receive at least an 18% cumulative salary increase over the next two years.
Average annual salaries are projected to rise significantly across key roles:
Engineers: Average salaries are expected to increase from $152,000 to $208,000.
Technical Employees: Average salaries are expected to rise from $119,000 to $163,000.
Union feedback and remaining concerns
What they're saying:
Representatives from both technical and professional units described the vote as a positive move toward restoring labor-management relations.
"This is the foundation of how we build forward, how we build that relationship back with Boeing that we used to have," said Kevin Boyd, a Boeing equipment and tool design employee.
While union representatives acknowledged substantial progress, some highlighted ongoing priorities that were not fully addressed in the agreement.
"There is still more work to be done. We achieved a lot of progress," said Alex Phillips, a Boeing product security engineer. "But there is so efforts we didn't actually achieve our goal on. The main one, I think, the members were clamoring for was outsourcing protections."
Boeing statement
In a statement released following the vote, Boeing expressed satisfaction with the contract's passage:
"We're pleased with the outcome of the vote. We look forward to working with our team to support our company's continued recovery and meeting our customer commitments now and into the future."
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), Boeing and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.