Boeing has sent a contract to the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) which would allow SPEEA members to continue working on Boeing engineering projects past the expiration of its current contract Oct. 6. Details of the contract aren’t yet publicly available, but have been endorsed by SPEEA’s negotiating team. The deal must be approved by a majority SPEEA’s Bargaining Unit Councils (BUCs) and members, before it can be officially agreed.
Why is the Contract Important?
SPEEA, which is part of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) represents roughly 13,000 engineers and scientists, along with roughly 4,000 technicians, analysts, and planners, who currently work for Boeing.
Together, they form a major part of Boeing’s production team, and are crucial to the continued development and certification of the Boeing 737 MAX 10, and Boeing 777-9 jets, which are currently in production.
If a new contract cannot be agreed before SPEEA’s current contract expires on Oct. 6, then SPEEA members will be legally allowed to call for strike action, and demand changes to their pay or working conditions. Boeing will be encouraged by the SPEEA negotiating team’s positive response to the proposed deal however.
The negotiating team said that the proposal:
“offers real and meaningful value to the membership, delivers real positive change to work/life balance and delivers on membership’s priorities.”
The team also said that Boeing executives had heard their concerns and responded to them in respectful and collaborative ways.
What Happens Next?
Before it can be voted on by SPEEA’s members, the proposal will be reviewed by the union’s two Bargaining Unit Councils (BUCs), which represent SPEAA’s engineering and technical branches.
The BUCs will then make a recommendation to the respective branches next week in August, before members are left to decide whether to vote for or against the proposals.
No specific date for the final vote has yet been announced, but the positivity surrounding the negotiations at this stage would suggest that any necessary amendments to the proposal could be made before Oct. 6.
This follows a successful set of negotiations between Boeing and 1,600 SPEEA members in January. This followed the aircraft producer’s acquiring of the former Spirit AeroSystems site in Wichita, Kansas.
Will SPEEA agree to a new deal? And will this speed-up the development of Boeing’s new jets? Let us know what you think in the comments.
