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By Howard Hardee
July 30, 2026, © Leeham News: Contract talks between Boeing and the Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) bargaining group appear to be progressing toward a resolution well ahead of the current labor agreement’s expiration date on October 6.
The SPEEA has received final offers on proposed four-year agreements for two groups of aerospace workers—a first group of 13,000 engineers and scientists, and a second group with about 4,000 technicians, analysts and planners in Boeing’s technical unit.
A Boeing 737 Max 10 fuselage on the North Line in Everett, Washington. Photo credit: Jennifer Buchanan/Seattle Times/Pool
The union cites reportedly good-faith efforts from Boeing management to repair a relationship damaged by the tactics of prior executive teams, including moving engineering positions outside of the greater Seattle area to cut labor costs.
“During negotiations, team members said they felt that Boeing executives had heard their concerns and responded to them in respectful and collaborative ways,” the union said in a statement on July 30. “This attitude, they said, seems to represent true movement by Boeing and a desire to rebuild trust with its SPEEA-represented workforce.”
More to follow
Details of the contract proposal will not be available until the union’s Bargaining Unit Councils (BUCs) meet sometime next week to review the pair of contract proposals.
“The BUCs are charged with issuing their recommendation on the offers to SPEEA members, and the BUCs have the power to call for a strike authorization vote. No strike could occur until after the current contracts expire on Oct. 6,” the SPEEA said.
But negotiations do not appear to be headed in that direction. The SPEEA said Boeing’s offer represents “real and meaningful value to the membership” and “delivers real positive change to work/life balance.”
Boeing also expressed optimism regarding the progression of contract talks.
“We’re pleased that SPEEA’s negotiation team has endorsed our final contract offer,” said Ben Nimmergurt, chief engineer for Boeing’s Functional Engineering division. “The offer ensures our team would be among the market leaders when it comes to pay and benefits. It also addresses the priorities the union said were most important to our employees.”
In a broader view, quickly reaching terms with engineers and technicians’ union workers is in Boeing’s best interest, as the airframer’s financial turnaround hinges on an uninterrupted ramp-up of production rates across its commercial aircraft programs. A work stoppage would be an unfavorable outcome as the company seeks stability and a sustained period of debt reduction.
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