Boeing seals union deal, but strike still looms
Boeing has come to an agreement with its engineers’ union over a new contract, but the threat of industrial action still looms as a group of technicians rejected the planemaker’s final offer.
The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) has been locked in contract disputes with Boeing for several months, rejecting a previous offer in October 2012 and threatening strike action if the latest round of talks failed. Fortunately for Boeing, the SPEEA’s engineers accepted a revised offer this week. The company said it was “deeply disappointed” however, that its technical employees rejected a new offer and authorised a strike.
Boeing said the package for technicians was its “best and final offer”, but SPEEA Executive Director, Ray Goforth urged the planemaker to improve the offer “to reflect the value and contributions technical workers bring to Boeing”.
“That way, we can avoid a strike and focus on fixing the problems of the 787 and restoring customer confidence in Boeing,” Goforth said.