Boeing, union pause contract talks for former Spirit AeroSystems white-collar workers

(In Dec 17 story, corrects workers’ role in headline. Adds union details in paragraph two.)

By Dan Catchpole

SEATTLE, Dec 17 (Reuters) – Labor officials said on Wednesday that contract talks with Boeing covering the future of roughly 1,600 white-collar union members at fuselage supplier Spirit AeroSystems after its acquisition by the planemaker had been paused until January 5. 

The workers are part of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace’s (SPEEA) non-engineering bargaining unit in Wichita, Kansas. SPEEA-represented engineers in Wichita approved a new four-year with Spirit management in November 2024. 

SPEEA also represents about 16,000 Boeing workers in western Washington state.

Due to labor law restrictions, the contract talks started after the completion of Boeing’s acquisition of most of the world’s largest independent fuselage and wing supplier on December 8. European planemaker Airbus bought some parts of Spirit’s business.

SPEEA negotiators, who put forward a contract proposal to Boeing last week, criticized the planemaker for being unprepared for the talks, even though a six-year contract is set to expire on January 31, 2026. 

“I’m incredibly pissed off by this demonstrated lack of respect,” SPEEA negotiator Wes Gardner said in a statement.

The union said Boeing had asked for the pause until January 5.

“The integration of our Boeing Wichita team is a highly complex effort and we are taking the time necessary to be thoughtful with these negotiations,” a Boeing spokesperson told Reuters.

SPEEA’s contract does not expire for another six weeks, so “there is still adequate time for full contract negotiations,” the spokesperson added.

Spirit’s sale to Boeing and Airbus has reshaped the global aerospace supply chain and added more complications for the U.S. planemaker’s labor relations. 

The biggest union representing Boeing staff, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, has agreements covering several thousand shop-floor workers in Wichita, Kansas, plus about 33,000 members in Washington and Oregon.

(Reporting by Dan Catchpole in Seattle; Additional reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru; Editing by Jamie Freed)