Last verified: September 2026. October is the month everything converges in Everett: the SPEEA contract expires on October 6, production lines are shifting, and a 5,200-worker shortage has handed aerospace workers rare leverage. Eight deep dives, one hub — the contract, the lines, and what it means for your job.
The contract: SPEEA 2026, expiring October 6
Three guides, one deadline. The SPEEA 2026 contract with Boeing expires October 6 — days from now — covering Everett’s 17,000 aerospace engineers and technicians. The core bargaining issues: PTO, retirement, raise pools, and on-call compensation. Four core priorities, one expiring clock.
→ SPEEA 2026 Contract: Guide for Boeing Everett Engineers — the complete bargaining guide: PTO, retirement, raise pools.
→ SPEEA Boeing Contract 2026: Engineers & Tech Outlook — the four core bargaining priorities for 17,000 engineers and technicians.
→ SPEEA 2026 Boeing Contract: Salary & Labor Priorities — what engineers want: salary, PTO, retirement, on-call pay.
The production lines: eras ending, targets rising
May 2026 saw the final Boeing 767 freighter delivery to FedEx — the end of an era for the Everett widebody workforce, with the 767 commercial line closing in 2027. Meanwhile Renton is maxed out at 47 jets a month, making the new Everett 737 North Line Boeing’s only path to its crucial 2026 target of rate 53. And the pending 777F exemption decision hangs over Paine Field and the 777-8F transition.
→ Boeing 767 Freighter: Final FedEx Delivery & Everett Impact — the end of the 767 era and what follows for the widebody workforce.
→ Everett 737 North Line: Boeing’s Only Path to Rate 53 — why rate 53 runs through Everett.
→ KC-46 Tanker Line: Paine Field Jobs After 767 Closes — job stability and internal transfer options as the 767 line winds down.
→ Boeing 777F Exemption: What It Means for Paine Field Jobs — the exemption decision, job security, and the 777-8F transition.
Your leverage: the 5,200-worker shortage
A 5,200-person aerospace worker shortage means hiring leverage is on the worker’s side — massive leverage, per the source piece. WATR and the Machinists Institute can fast-track a Snohomish County aerospace career. Read the contract guides above, then read this one.
→ Aerospace Worker Shortage: Snohomish County Career Guide — how to convert the shortage into your offer letter.
Eight deep dives, one hub. The SPEEA contract expiring October 6, the production lines shifting underneath it, and worker shortage handing you the leverage.