Boeing engineers' union rejects contract, raising strike risk

Boeing faces renewed risk of labour disruption after members of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) rejected a proposed four-year contract. The union's negotiating team had endorsed the offer in late July.

The rejected deal would have given unionised workers a total wage increase of 28.5%. SPEEA said its negotiating team is now surveying members to determine what changes would be needed to secure approval of a future contract. Neither side has scheduled a return to the bargaining table.

SPEEA represents about 17,000 Boeing employees on the US West Coast. Roughly 13,000 belong to a professional unit of engineers and scientists, while 4,000 make up a technical unit covering technicians, analysts and planners. Contracts for both groups expire after 6 October, and Boeing said a strike could not begin before 7 October.

According to a company production engineering executive, Boeing said it had offered a strong package intended to position its engineering and technical staff among market leaders in pay and benefits in the Pacific Northwest, and the company said it was disappointed by the vote. Boeing said it is now implementing a strike contingency plan. It has also withdrawn some provisions from its original offer, including a previously proposed 3% pay increase.

The dispute follows separate strikes by Boeing machinists in 2024 and 2025, adding to a recent pattern of labour tension at the manufacturer.