Negotiations
At a Glance
With a contract, would all employees be compensated the same regardless of their contribution?
No. SPEEA contracts divide compensation into three buckets. (1) Guaranteed minimum goes to everyone and functions as compensation for inflation; (2) Selective is based upon individual performance; and (3) Company performance (at Boeing that's EIP).
Is it true Boeing could not agree to a proposal in bargaining?
True but the law does require bargaining in good faith. SPEEA and Boeing have been solving problems at the negotiating table since 1946. If Boeing suddenly couldn't agree to any solutions for Southern California employees, that would be strong evidence that Boeing was not bargaining in good faith.
With a new contract, do you automatically start from zero?
Technically this is true, but practically, Boeing isn't going to throw out all its rules and procedures. A first contract usually starts by memorializing the parts where there is already agreement. Then, this framework gets added to through bargaining to solve problems management couldn't/wouldn't solve on their own.
Who participates in contract negotiations?
Union members and staff participate in contract negotiations. Union members are elected by their bargaining unit peers to form the SPEEA Negotiation Team.
I’ve been elected to four SPEEA contract negotiation teams since 2004. I take this role very seriously. I have been able to develop a unique bond with most of the engineers in the Wichita unit.
Our team also consists of professional SPEEA staff with decades of negotiation and benefits experience. Staff helps our team with internal discussions to prepare for contract talks, and they support us in bargaining sessions with the company’s team of executives and directors.
- R Matthew Joyce/Senior Systems Integration Engineer/Spirit AeroSystems
Will a contract limit raises?
Contracts do not limit raises. A contract creates a baseline for raises to help ensure salaries keep up with inflation and rise with the market. In my experience prior to SPEEA at a non-union site, raises were so low I was often getting paid less than the year before when you factored in inflation.
Our contract does not set an upper limit for raises. Management, per the contract, can offer as much above the baseline as they choose.
- Debarijit “Greg” Chandra/senior systems engineer/Boeing Puget Sound
How do we make sure issues we care about are considered during contract negotiations?
I’ve been elected to four SPEEA negotiation teams. We make sure to connect with members on issues they care about in multiple ways, including surveys, informational meetings and related contract data.
No matter how small the group or issue, there is an opportunity to discuss what members want to focus on and consider for negotiations. I’ve seen firsthand how we can resolve contract issues affecting just a few hundred engineers and techs in Utah.
SPEEA is the membership. Members ultimately decide and vote on what is good enough to accept in any contract offer.
- Joel Funfar, SPEEA president/ EO&T lab operations tech, Boeing Seattle