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Lede: Boeing may be able to avoid another strike as its engineer and tech union members vote on ratification of a tentative contract agreement. Doug Cunningham reports.

By Doug Cunningham

The tentative agreement was reached Friday between the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), IFPTE Local 2001, and The Boeing Company on new four-year contracts covering 21,000 engineers and technical workers. Having already lost millions of dollars in lost sales during the recent machinists strike, both Boeing and the union wanted to avoid a second strike. Union negotiators are recommending members approve the agreements. If approved by union members, the agreements will replace existing contracts that expire Dec. 1. The contracts cover 14,000 engineers in the SPEEA Professional Bargaining Unit. The second contract covers 7,000 technical workers in the union’s Technical Bargaining Unit. The majority of workers are in Puget Sound , but the contracts cover employees in Oregon, Utah and California. Both contracts expire Dec. 1. Boeing is a highly profitable company and the union was seeking t have its member rewarded for the success they’ve created at Boeing.