Tentative agreement was reached today between the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), IFPTE Local 2001, and The Boeing Company on new four-year contracts covering 14,000 engineers and 7,000 technical workers.
The two sides reached agreement early Friday. Union negotiators and the SPEEA governing councils recommend members approve the agreements. If approved by a mail-in ballot, the new employment agreements will replace existing contracts that expire Dec. 1.
Main Table talks started Oct. 29 after more than eight months negotiating in committees.
"These agreements are the result of lots of hard work by all parties," said SPEEA Executive Director and Chief Spokesperson Ray Goforth. "It's gratifying that we could reach an agreement and put the decision in members' hands."
The agreements provide salary increase pools of 5 percent in each year of the contract. Engineers in the Professional unit are guaranteed an increase of at least 2 percent each year and Technical workers are guaranteed increases of at least 2.5 percent during each year of the contract. In addition to the wage increases, union negotiators improved medical coverage in key areas, gained input into outsourcing decisions, preserved the defined benefit pension for new employees and stopped Boeing from cutting engineers in Utah from the Professional contract.
"I think members will be really pleased," said Dave Patzwald, chair of the Professional Negotiation Team. "The company showed respect and a willingness to work our issues."
"We succeeded in achieving the major objectives we set out to get for members," said Alan Rice, chair of the Technical Negotiation Team.
Members will vote by mail on the contract offer. Voting packages should be mailed by Friday, Nov. 21. Members will have until 5 p.m., Dec. 1 to return marked ballots for counting. Ballots will include a vote on strike authorization. The contract vote and strike authorization is decided by a simple majority of 50 percent plus one.
A local of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), SPEEA represents more than 24,400 aerospace professionals at Boeing; Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kan.; Triumph Composite Systems, Inc., in Spokane, Wash.; and at BAE Systems, Inc., in Irving, Texas.
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