Boeing engineers, tech workers ratify contracts (Boeing)

SEATTLE _ Boeing Co. engineers and technical workers have voted to ratify new contracts, ensuring four years of labour peace at the company's commercial airplane operations.

Members of the professional unit of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace voted 79 per cent for the deal. Union spokesman Bill Dugovich says that in the technical unit the vote was 69 per cent for ratification.

Votes were counted Monday. The union represents about 20,000 Boeing employees in the Seattle area and 550 others in Oregon, Utah and California.

The two agreements were reached Nov. 14. They include pay raises averaging five per cent a year, higher pension payments and improved medical coverage with small cost increases for employees.

Boeing commercial airplane production workers approved a new four-year contract last month, ending an eight-week strike.

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