Boeing has reached a first labor agreement with a group of white-collar employees who previously worked for Spirit AeroSystems and were re-integrated into Boeing in December. The agreement, covering about 1,600 members of the Wichita Technical and Professional Unit of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), was approved by 85% of votes cast and will remain in effect until late 2030.
Under the contract, eligible employees will receive a $6,000 ratification bonus. The deal also provides for annual wage increases, enhancements to medical and retirement benefits, and an additional six paid days off per year.
This pact marks the first labor arrangement completed with former Spirit AeroSystems white-collar staff following their return to Boeing. The affected workers are represented by SPEEA's Wichita Technical and Professional Unit.
According to recent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission cited by the company, SPEEA represents 11% of Boeing's total workforce of 182,000 employees. Boeing has indicated it will commence negotiations later this year with SPEEA's two largest bargaining units. Those two units together include roughly 16,000 engineers and technical workers located in Washington, Oregon, California and Utah.
Context and immediate implications
The agreement secures labor terms for a discrete group of roughly 1,600 technical and professional employees in Wichita through the end of 2030. It formalizes compensation and benefits changes including a one-time ratification payment, recurring wage increases, and improvements to benefit plans and time-off provisions.
Boeing’s plan to open talks later this year with SPEEA’s larger bargaining units means negotiations affecting a substantially bigger cohort of employees remain pending. Those upcoming negotiations will cover approximately 16,000 engineers and technical staff across four states.
Data points from the agreement and representation
- Number of workers covered by the new contract: about 1,600.
- Vote approval rate: 85% of votes cast.
- Contract expiration: late 2030.
- Key financial and time-off terms: $6,000 ratification bonus, annual wage increases, improvements to medical and retirement plans, six additional days off per year.
- SPEEA representation: the union accounts for 11% of Boeing's 182,000 employees, per recent SEC filings referenced by the company.
- Upcoming negotiations: scheduled later this year with SPEEA's two largest bargaining units, representing roughly 16,000 engineers and technical workers in Washington, Oregon, California and Utah.
What remains open
While this contract resolves terms for the Wichita Technical and Professional Unit, larger negotiations with two major SPEEA units have yet to begin. Those talks will involve a far larger group of engineers and technical employees and are scheduled to start later this year.