Employees represented by the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace approved a revised labor agreement with Boeing, comprising approximately 13,000 engineers and 4,000 technical workers. The contract includes a 10% wage increase upon ratification, followed by annual raises of 4% with potential merit-based increases up to 6% over the four-year period.
The engineering unit voted 67.62% in favor of the agreement, while the technical unit approved it with 53.48% support. This represented a reversal from an earlier proposal that included only 3% annual raises, which the workforce had rejected with substantial opposition. Boeing enhanced its offer in mid-September after the initial rejection, resulting in the ultimately approved terms.
The union stated that negotiators achieved concessions they considered unlikely at the outset of discussions. Boeing expressed satisfaction with the voting outcome in an official statement. The successful contract ratification eliminates the risk of a work stoppage during a critical period for the company.
The timing proves significant as Boeing navigates multiple strategic priorities, including efforts to increase production of its commercial aircraft and obtain Federal Aviation Administration certification for the 737 Max 10 and 777X models, both of which remain significantly delayed. The FAA recently announced it was evaluating a potential software issue on the 737 Max 10 related to landing procedures in specific operational circumstances. A previous machinist labor action two years ago resulted in production halts until a settlement was reached.
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