Boeing and engineers' union head into second round of contract talks

Boeing and the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, known as SPEEA, plan to begin a second round of bargaining over new labor contracts on Monday, according to a report cited by aerotelegraph.com.

The union represents roughly 17,000 engineers, technicians and other specialists at the planemaker. Members had earlier rejected a company offer and voted by a wide margin to authorize a strike, the report said, citing the Seattle Times.

Current contracts expire on October 6, and any walkout could not begin before that date.

Boeing is said to be preparing for a possible labor dispute. The company has been posting temporary positions that could be used to replace union members if a strike occurs.

SPEEA's main demands center on higher guaranteed pay increases and stronger protections against the outsourcing of jobs, according to the report, which gave no further details on the state of talks.