Boeing CEO warns engineers' strike would halt 777-9 certification and cut 737 output

Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg said a strike by the company's engineers and technical staff would stop 777-9 certification work and lower 737 output. Speaking at a Morgan Stanley investor conference on 16 September, he said the 777X certification programme would halt until engineers return, and that the stoppage would carry over into production. Boeing probably could not hold 737 rates during a strike, he said, though it intends to keep the production line running under a contingency plan drawn up for that scenario.

Ortberg called avoiding a work stoppage the company's main priority, describing the impact as significant.

About 17,000 workers are represented by the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, which covers roughly 13,000 engineers and scientists along with some 4,000 technicians, analysts and planners. Boeing and the union are negotiating a four-year contract. If no agreement is reached, a strike could begin on 7 October, the day after the current contract expires.

Ortberg also pointed to bottlenecks in wing production as a constraint on 737 output, saying the next increase in the 737 build rate will not come until next year.

The union's negotiating team said on 11 September that it approved Boeing's latest offer, leaving the decision to a vote by employees. Workers rejected an earlier contract proposal.