Key facts
- Boeing's SPEEA union will vote on a revised contract offer on Thursday.
- The revised offer includes a 10% raise upon ratification and an average 32% raise over four years.
- A strike could halt certification campaigns for the 737 MAX 10 and 777-9.
- About 64% of the Professional Unit and 72% of the Technical Unit rejected the first offer.
- Union councils for both SPEEA units now recommend accepting the latest offer.
Boeing's largest white-collar union, the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), is set to vote on Thursday on a revised contract offer from the planemaker. The union's members previously rejected Boeing's initial offer in August. A second rejection would pave the way for a strike as early as October 7, potentially disrupting work on the 737 MAX 10 and 777-9 jetliners and slowing deliveries.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg has stated the company is working hard to avoid a work stoppage, acknowledging that a strike would financially harm the company. The revised offer includes a 10% guaranteed raise upon ratification, with annual guaranteed raises of 4% plus potential 2% performance increases. Over a four-year contract, this would result in an average raise of 32% for SPEEA members, compared to 26.5% under the first offer.
Union councils for both the Professional Unit (about 13,000 engineers and scientists) and the Technical Unit (about 4,000 designers, analysts, and technicians) are now recommending acceptance of the latest offer, a shift from their stance on the initial proposal. While some union members who voted no previously have expressed support for the new offer, citing wage improvements, others remain opposed, concerned that the raises may not be sufficient given potential future inflation and high fuel prices.