Members of Boeing’s largest white-collar union are scheduled to vote Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, on a revised contract offer from the company. The vote by the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) will determine whether the union accepts new terms or moves toward a strike. If the offer is rejected, approximately 17,000 workers could begin a walkout as early as Oct. 7, following the expiration of their current contracts on Oct. 6.
The current negotiations follow an August vote in which union members rejected Boeing’s initial proposal and authorized a strike. In that vote, 64% of the Professional Unit and 72% of the Technical Unit voted against the company's first offer. Most of these employees are based in Washington, with others located in Oregon, California, and Utah. While the two units bargain as a single group, they must vote separately on whether to ratify the agreement.
The revised offer, submitted on Sept. 11, provides a 10% guaranteed raise upon ratification and sets annual guaranteed wage increases at 4%. It also includes potential performance-based increases of up to 2%. According to the union, this structure would result in an average 32% raise over the four-year life of the contract, an increase from the 26.5% offered in the first proposal. SPEEA negotiators stated that larger raises were necessary because previous pay scales had not kept pace with market rates and inflation.
A strike would affect approximately 17,000 professional and technical workers, including 13,000 engineers and scientists and 4,000 designers, analysts, and technicians. These employees are primarily located in Washington, Oregon, California, and Utah. Under the proposed four-year contract, the average member would see a 32% total wage increase, starting with a 10% boost on ratification. The initial 26.5% offer had tied guaranteed raises to inflation rather than a flat percentage.
If members reject the offer and strike on Oct. 7, it would halt certification campaigns for two aircraft programs: the 737 MAX 10 and the 777-9. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg stated in mid-September that a work stoppage would financially hurt the company, which is already working to recover from previous crises. A strike would slow the ramp-up of jetliner deliveries, which are central to the company's revenue stream.
Some members indicated the raises may not be sufficient for future economic shifts, while others viewed the deal as a reset to focus on non-economic goals in 2030, such as safeguards against moving work to non-union regions. The union councils for both units have recommended that members accept the offer, a change from August when the Technical Unit council urged a rejection. The results of the Oct. 1 vote will determine if the company avoids a shutdown or faces a production delay next week.