Check back for updates!
When and how will we see the offer?
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.
A day in the life of our negotiation team at the hotel
We heard you had questions about how we are working at the table negotiating with Boeing.
What does a typical day in SPEEA negotiations look like?
Our team meets in a hotel conference room in the morning to discuss our agenda for the day. Our focus has been editing different proposals we received or plan to pass to the company on the different contract sections.
When we have discussions with the company, it typically takes less than an hour. We pass the edited proposals with an explanation of the changes. Both sides then meet on our own to discuss the proposals and counterproposals we just received.
This process is repeated throughout the day. Then, we conclude the day with an internal team briefing and discuss the message to go out to members.
Who speaks at the table?
Different Negotiation Team members speak on the context and the intent of what we are trying to accomplish with specific language. The team usually chooses a facilitator to explain the intent of the language after there has been discussion during our SPEEA-only internal meetings.
How do you determine what language to write?
We reference member survey information, including the Negotiation Preparation Committee report, as well as input from staff who have several years of experience assisting members on contract issues.
We attempt to capture the intent of what is needed as best as we can and then propose language to document that intent.
How many people are in a meeting?
Some sessions with the company team are smaller to handle specific issues.
All members are present for bigger issues. Since topics vary from section to section, sometimes the actual discussion may address one or two lines in a section, sometimes it will cover the intent of multiple sections. An example is work flexibility. This topic impacts many sections, so it typically requires a larger group.
The entire team is usually present for passing formal proposals back and forth.
How does this year’s negotiations differ from others?
We’re trying a form of “interest-based” negotiations, meaning a lot of problem-solving discussion between us and the company, with input from our negotiation team alternates. This format also helps us meet in smaller union–company groups to find solutions on topics where we have a common interest such as retention.
We’re also negotiating in a different context from previous years. For example, we are all aware of the results of Boeing’s negotiations with IAM 751, and there have been changes in company leadership and management style. All of this is taking place against a backdrop of thousands of members showing support in their workplace with red shirts on Wednesdays, SPEEA lunchtime events, visibility items everywhere, social media campaigns and more!
What is a bargaining platform?
A bargaining platform is a structured set of priorities, goals, and guiding principles developed by a union before entering negotiations with an employer. It serves as the foundation for collective bargaining, outlining what workers hope to achieve in areas such as wages, benefits, working conditions, job security, and workplace policies. Rather than being a finalized list of demands, the bargaining platform is typically a strategic framework that reflects member input, member survey results, economic conditions and the broader negotiating environment.
Strategy behind high-level priorities
One notable feature of most bargaining platforms is the lack of highly specific demands, especially in early stages. This is intentional. Precise figures, such as exact wage increases or detailed benefit structures, can limit a union’s ability to adapt during negotiations. If those specifics are disclosed publicly or too early in the process, they may also give the employer insight into a union’s bottom line, weakening its bargaining position.
A bargaining platform is not a fixed contract proposal but a flexible roadmap. Its relative lack of specificity is a deliberate choice that supports adaptability, protects negotiating strength, and allows both sides to engage in meaningful, productive negotiations.
How is the Negotiation Team organized and what areas are they focused on?
The Negotiation Team is comprised of all 21 of the primary and alternate members elected by the Bargaining Unit Councils in March. (The Bargaining Unit Councils, or BUCs, are comprised of all the SPEEA Council Reps who represent members of both the Prof and the Tech bargaining unit; the Profs and the Techs each have their own BUC.)
Various members of the Prof and Tech Negotiation Teams meet in subteams that cover four areas: Compensation, Benefits, Employee Relations and Workforce. Compensation comprises anything monetary including wages and retirement. Benefits include medical, dental and vision benefits. Employee Relations discusses items like remote and hybrid work and the Ed Wells Partnership. Finally, Workforce is responsible for contract language surrounding retention and layoffs.
Is the Negotiation Team aware of the work movement concerns of members? The recent move of 787 work to South Carolina, plus movement of work to India, Brazil, Poland and other places is causing significant concern.
The Team fully understands that it's a concern. We are discussing your outsourcing concerns with SPEEA staff. As more details emerge about specific work movements, we strongly encourage all members to reach out to SPEEA staff.
What does the Negotiation Team see as the key milestones?
Your Negotiation Team has diligently reviewed the data from last year's Negotiation Prep Committee surveys and is reviewing and establishing the critical items to bring forward in negotiations. We will work through these items with Boeing. Your visible support during these efforts does matter and does improve our negotiation position at the table. Look for Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings in your area to get involved and learn more.
Are the new benefits I suggested in the survey or my other high-priority contract ideas still on the table, even if I don't see them in the "Contract Priorities"?
Absolutely! A bargaining platform (priorities) is a collection of high-level ideas, concepts and objectives identified by our union's membership as we enter negotiations with the company. Specific details of any concept or benefit will be discussed much later.
(For more on this topic, please refer to SPEEA President Andrew Sherman's column in the June edition of SPEEA Spotlite magazine.) The Negotiation Team is still determining our bargaining proposal. The situation remains fluid, and we have not limited the totality of items open for discussion with the company.
How will we know what a good contract looks like?
That’s a tough question. Every individual member will at some point have to decide if the presented offer is good enough. Only you as an individual member can decide that for yourself.
To help you with that assessment, the Prof and Tech Negotiation Team and the Prof and Tech Bargaining Unit Councils may each provide their recommendations based on the information available at the time. (The Bargaining Unit Councils, or BUCs, are comprised of all the SPEEA Council Reps who represent members of the Prof and the Tech bargaining units.)
How will the Negotiation Team assess whether to recommend the company’s offer?
The Negotiation Team members take their roles very seriously. We fully understand the level of impact we will have on our members’ lives for years to come. The Team will make recommendations based on all the available information we have at the time.