Boeing engineers' union rejects contract, authorizes strike vote

Boeing's engineering and technical employees have voted down a proposed four-year labor contract, according to the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, the union representing them.

SPEEA said on August 21, 2026 that 64% of members in its professional unit and 71% in its technical unit voted against the offer. The proposal covered roughly 13,000 engineers and scientists and 4,000 technical staff. Turnout was lower than that, though: 11,339 professional unit members and 3,909 technical unit members cast ballots.

Almost 90% of voters in both groups also authorized the union to call a strike if negotiations fail to produce what SPEEA described as significant improvements. The union said it would keep talking with Boeing while surveying members on their priorities for a revised offer.

In its statement, SPEEA pointed to deep mistrust among members toward Boeing leadership. It cited jobs moving out of state or overseas, quality and safety concerns being subordinated to production schedules, and technical decisions made by engineers being overruled. Wages, the union said, have not kept pace with inflation or the broader aerospace labor market.

SPEEA represents workers who have now rejected two previous contracts, the union said, adding that their efforts had gone unrecognized in that time. No strike date has been set. The union said it is working toward a new proposal that better reflects members' expectations. Boeing has not been quoted directly in the available material responding to the vote.