WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – The amount of money available for raises for engineers at Spirit AeroSystems will increase by at least 23%, including the promotional fund, over the next four years, after unionized engineers at the company accepted the company’s contract offer.
SPEEA, the union representing the engineers, reported Monday, Nov. 25, that 52% of union members had voted to accept the offer. Voting was conducted by mail over the previous week. Ballots were counted on Monday. The offer had been endorsed by the union’s negotiating team and by the Bargaining Unit Council, comprised of representatives elected by members of the union’s bargaining unit for engineers.
Under the terms of the offer, engineers will receive average raises of 6% next year. The offer guarantees minimum 4% raises in both the second and third years – with a provision for greater raises if needed to match labor-market conditions. Average pay will go up 5% in the contract’s fourth year. In addition, there is a 0.75% promotional fund that is to be expended every year of the contract.
The increases are to the engineers’ wage pools – pots of money that Spirit will use to increase engineers’ salaries. Individual pay will be determined during annual performance evaluations.
“These are the largest wage pools we’ve ever received from Spirit, going back to its formation in 2005,” said Rich Plunkett, SPEEA’s director of strategic development, who led the bargaining team. “We didn’t get all that we wanted at the table, but we did get a lot to reward our members for their skills and hard work,” he added. “This contract can only help Spirit attract and retain top-level engineering talent.”
In addition to the pay increases, the contract guarantees that engineers at Spirit will get a minimum 5% bonus in the spring of 2025, and the company will increase the amount it is contributing to 401(k) retirement accounts for the overwhelming majority of engineers in 2026. Engineers also will get more paid time off from work and the contract gives new parents eight weeks of paid leave.
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