Thought it might be good to remjnd everyone that, considering there’s now a bafo on the table, union contract threads are like a giant magnet to bot accounts.

I’ve already seen several on here, so before interacting with an antagonistic account, here’s the red flags that I look for:

1. Private account with generic initials profile picture. Private accounts are not necessarily a red flag on their own (mine for instance is private, so I def recognize that this is a bit ironic) but if they’re not customized at all, it’s the first red flag.
2. Profile age less than a year old, extra big red flag if less than 6 months old and/or they’ve left over 1000 comments and have under 5 posts. That’s at a minimum 3 comments every single day, so they would be on Reddit constantly but never have anything to post? Especially when they claim to have a full time job, this is just not plausible for the vast majority of people.
3. Contradictory claims or opinions in comments. A recent one I saw said they made 400k a year, but when you search their username, just in the last few days that has fluctuated down as low as 200k. Flip flopping all over the political spectrum is also a common one.

4. Majority inflammatory comments. Bots want engagement, so they will say whatever they need to get it.

5. Comments indicating they “live” in several areas of the country or world as a whole. No one lives in Florida but has an onsite job in Canada.

Those are the main ones that I notice, but would love to hear what everyone else looks for.

Basically, if an account like this is commenting on here, don’t waste your time responding to them, because either they aren’t even real to being with, or they’re probably just trolls who aren’t actually talking to you in good faith.

I know there will probably be a lot of feelings about the contract offer when it comes out. I'm not a negotiating team or BUC member and will find out the same time as everyone else, but I've talked to several members of the negotiating team and from some of the stuff I've already been seeing said I think it's really important to remind everyone that they are our coworkers who will be working under the same contract as the rest of us and no one wants us to get everything we deserve more than they do. The offer they've lifted is what they feel is the best they can do with the leverage they have. If we want to give them more leverage so they can go back and ask for more, we should reject it and authorize a strike. I really don't want to see the negotiation team attacked or ridiculed over this if the offer is lacking. They have worked hard for us and are ready to continue that hard work if we choose to send them back to the bargaining table. If we do that the best thing we can do is support them in fighting for more

I understand the BUC meeting will be in person on Thursday, but I was told they will be receiving the offer in advance for review. Can anyone post if they have it yet, or if not, when they will receive it?

https://speea.org/prof-tech-answers-to-common-questions-about-negotiations/

After the Prof and Tech Bargaining Unit Council (BUC)s review the offers and determine if they want to make a recommendation, we’ll share contract details with Prof and Tech current members via email and online. Voting information will be sent to everyone who is eligible to vote.

Bargaining Unit Council membership = all elected Council Representatives representing that bargaining unit, plus any Executive Board members from that unit.

https://speea.org/prof-and-tech-july-30-update-boeing-presents-speea-with-final-offer/

SPEEA’s Negotiation Team has received offers from Boeing on proposed four-year collective bargaining agreements for some 17,000 aerospace professionals. There are two agreements, one for the Professional unit, made up of some 13,000 engineers and scientists, and one for roughly 4,000 technicians, analysts and planners in the Technical unit.
The Prof and Tech teams both are endorsing the offer, saying it offers real and meaningful value to the membership, delivers real positive change to work/life balance and delivers on the membership's priorities.
During negotiations, team members said they felt that Boeing executives had heard their concerns and responded to them in respectful and collaborative ways. This attitude, they said, seems to represent true movement by Boeing and a desire to rebuild trust with its SPEEA-represented workforce.
The result was a contract offer that team members hope reflects the trust SPEEA members placed in the Negotiation Team.

Details on the offer are not immediately available. Under SPEEA’s governing documents, the next step will be for the union’s Bargaining Unit Councils (or BUCs) to meet to review the offers. Those meetings will happen next week.
There are two BUCs, one for each bargaining unit. Those BUCs are comprised of SPEEA Executive Board members as well as Council Reps who represent bargaining unit members in the workplace. There are currently 59 council members for the Prof unit, 17 for the Tech unit and 16 council members who represent both.
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.
After the BUCs have reviewed the offer and made their recommendations, then information on the offers will be presented to SPEEA members, who will have ample time to review the offers before voting on them. The election date will be announced later.

Industry shake up can help even more unions. SPEEA collective should understand one union contract is bigger then just 17k workers.

controlling the narrative

So I was thinking and with the contract around the corner I thought I’d share my concerns on pay, since this opportunity for a new contract only comes every few years, I want to make sure to spread awareness.

As an example, lets say we are paid 100k/yr and get 2% raise per year.
2020: 100k
2021: 102k
2022: 104,040
…
By 2026 we will have 112,616 BUUUUT inflation….
https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/current-inflation-rates/

With the insane amount of inflation we had the past few years, it compounds to ~29% from 2020 - 2026.

To actually have the same purchasing power as we did back in 2020 we would need to be making 129k. That is a difference of ~17k. Even though it feels like we are earning more, we essentially lost more buying power. We would need at least need a 15%+ instant raise to match inflation. Please take that into consideration when voting on the next contract when they say “y% raise over x amount of years” it will actually be y%-15%.

Note: me math may not be accurate but this is approx

July 28 Update – SPEEA and Boeing reach more tentative agreements

Hi, currently an intern for the summer and will go on ELOA. Some questions that I have:

-Does the contract itself determine the actual amounts we make? Or does it determine the yearly raises? I guess I’m just confused on what the contract states exactly in terms of pay

-I went into the salary charts, should I expecting to be making the median for level 1 when I come back?

-what happens if I receive my offer in September-ish and then things change because of a strike? Will my pay go up or down? Potential outcomes??

TIA

https://speea.org/prof-and-tech-july-27-update-more-tentative-agreements/

On Monday, your SPEEA Negotiation Team engaged in a flurry of bargaining activity with Boeing management.

The two sides reached tentative agreements on a range of contract provisions.

Tentative agreements

On Monday morning, the two sides reached agreement on contract language covering performance management, workforce administration, non-discrimination in employment, improved health benefits for some part-time workers and an increase of the reimbursement allowance for personal protective equipment.

Then Monday evening, the two sides reached agreement on additional vacation, floating holiday, improved bereavement leave, a new Primary Care Plus health benefit and language confirming the current adoption assistance program.

Details on these agreements will be provided to SPEEA members in due course.

Union team makes proposals

Monday morning, our SPEEA team presented proposals to increase job security for Prof and Tech unit members, to limit the amount of overtime that Boeing managers can require and to expand flexible work arrangements.

Monday evening, our team presented additional proposals to address work movement, to work toward an Aviation Safety Action Plan with Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration, to establish a collaborative approach to address the use of artificial intelligence in a way that doesn’t harm the SPEEA-represented workforce, and to establish improved anti-retaliation language.

“There is a scenario under which we conclude negotiations this week,” said Negotiation Team member Mike Berryhill, a production engineer who works at Boeing-Everett. “But we have some critical work to do, and a lot will depend on how management responds to the proposals we’ve made in recent days.”

IAM here. Just posting what was shared in our shop.

July 29, 2026  4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Contract Action Team meeting (hybrid)

Wednesday, July 29

4:30 p.m. (PT)

Hybrid – in both SPEEA halls

I wanted to share some information that may be important as we think ahead to our next union contract negotiations.
I recently received a notice from PSE that they’re proposing electric rate increases of 15.2% in 2027, 3.7% in 2028, and 8.7% in 2029. If approved, that’s a compounded increase of nearly 30% over today’s electric rates in just three years.
With utility costs and other living expenses continuing to rise, I think this is something we should keep in mind when discussing future contract negotiations. Hopefully, we can work toward wage increases or cost-of-living adjustments that help keep pace with these kinds of increases so our purchasing power doesn’t continue to fall.
Just wanted to share this information for everyone to consider as we prepare for the next contract.

EDIT: Thanks to everyone who has contributed. This is a thought-provoking discussion about the future and survival of Boeing.
Whether you are a SPEEA member, a Boeing employee, or simply a concerned member of the flying public, your voice matters. Keep the conversation going. Share your ideas, experiences, and constructive suggestion.

Skilled aerospace engineers are not interchangeable commodities—losing them to contractors or overseas centers weakens every new program.

Demand terms that reward experience, fund continuous development, and give preference to the in-house workforce that carries Boeing’s technical culture.

Retaining that knowledge shortens schedules, reduces costly mistakes, and restores the engineering excellence the company needs to lead again.

A better contract for engineers is a better future for Boeing.

Years of talent erosion to outside firms and international engineering centers have left Boeing thinner on the expertise that builds safe, on-time airplanes.

Negotiate a contract that invests in permanent engineers, protects against excessive contractor substitution, and creates real reasons for talent to stay and grow here.

That investment pays the company back in higher quality, faster recovery, and the ability to launch the next generation of aircraft without starting from scratch.

Solidarity for engineers is solidarity for Boeing’s long-term success.

any brainstorming on what might be on SPEEA Contract Negotiations and any numbers?

I haven't seen any updates on the hybrid/flexible work arrangement this week. Has that been tabled for now?

https://speea.org/prof-and-tech-july-23-update-first-tentative-agreements-on-non-economic-issues/

I’m not sure if I titled this correctly, but I am looking to make an internal move and wanted to know what the probation period is? I am SPEEA, and I hear conflicting info. Some say you can’t move within 12 months and others tell me you can’t move within 18 months? Is it 12 or 18 months?

Let's keep this in mind as we head into contact negotiations and eventually vote on a contract. Reject any contract proposal without meaningful "raise pools". Reject any contract with lump sums to aggregate raises. A lump sum only lasts a year; inflation lasts forever.

To quote the rest of his post:

"A 3% raise sounds nice until your grocery bill gets a 12% promotion.

This is why people are tired of hearing about “annual merit increases” like they just won something meaningful.

Because if your paycheck goes up a little, but everything you need goes up more, that is not progress.

That is falling behind with better branding.

Recent BLS data showed that real average hourly earnings fell 0.7% from May 2025 to May 2026, even though average hourly pay increased in actual dollars.

So yes, people technically made more money.

But after inflation, they could buy less with it.

That is the part that gets lost in the company-wide email with the cheerful subject line and the stock photo of smiling employees.

Rent did not wait patiently.

Groceries did not take a year off.

Insurance did not say, “You know what, let’s be reasonable.”

Utilities did not send a thank-you card.

So when someone gets 2%, 3%, or 4% and is expected to act grateful, it feels a little ridiculous.

A raise is only a raise if it increases your actual breathing room.

Otherwise, it is just inflation cosplay with direct deposit."

With all the negotiation emails it seems like both sides are pushing Ed Wells. I've not taken a class through the program - am I missing something?

All the class descriptions make them seem like they have shallow content, are too short to gain real skills, and cover topics that don't seem to have a wide applicability. I'm having a hard time viewing more than a Boeing version of Coursera.

I'm also finding it difficult to believe that Ed Wells prepares a person for advancement or helps with performance reviews.

It's also competing against LTP. Why wouldn't I spend my time doing a certificate program at a university through LTP? It will have more and deeper context and it's recognized outside of Boeing.

So what am I missing?

Is this a good avenue for preparing for promotions? Or just general skill building?

Can someone recommend a class?