Join IFPTE: the Union for Engineering Professionals

Our union has a rich history of representing engineers. In fact, when our union was created in 1918 it was the first labor organization dedicated to the welfare of technical engineering employees. While our membership has expanded, many of us are still employed in engineering occupations.

Our members are aerospace engineers at companies like Boeing, environmental engineers at federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, electrical engineers at utility companies like PG&E, and civil engineers working for local governments. All of these engineering professionals have realized the benefits of joining together in union, which includes higher pay, better benefits, and improved working conditions.

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“The big thing is to join a union and have a voice. It’s knowing those [workplace] benefits are not going to change at the whim of the company.”

— Catherine Owen, structural design engineer and IFPTE member

How our members have raised standards for engineering professionals

Improved salaries and better benefits

Union members are paid more than nonunion members - union aerospace engineers, for example, earn 30 percent higher wages than non-union aerospace engineers. Our members have raised wages by securing salary minimums, guaranteed annual raises, overtime pay, performance increases, and other tools to improve pay in their union contracts. Codifying compensation also allows our members to plan and feel financially stable. A union contract makes wages transparent, which ensures engineers are earning a fair salary based on their experience, education, and level of work, and provides a system to correct it if they aren’t. Additionally, union members have a say in the benefits they receive. IFPTE members have secured better health insurance and retirement plans, as well as more paid time off.

Collaboration with employers for more effective professional development and training

Engineering professionals need to maintain, update, and acquire new skills during their careers. To meet these needs, our members have worked with their employers to establish training programs and partnerships. Union aerospace engineers at Boeing have a joint training initiative called the Ed Wells Partnership that includes classes, one-on-one career coaching, conference grants, and other training resources. Union engineers working for the City of San Jose negotiated for a minimum of 24 hours of training per fiscal year, as well as the ability to provide recommendations on training needs and opportunities. Some IFPTE members have also negotiated for professional development funds that give them the opportunity to attend trainings of their choosing.

Advocating for engineering professions

Union engineers have the power to stand up for professional standards. With their collective voice, our members have the ability to push back and be a check on employers when suggestions are made that could compromise their work. IFPTE members make vital contributions to their organizations, and with their union they are able to make sure their professional opinions are valued and respected.

Where our members in engineering work

Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority

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Contact us about joining the union of engineers

As a union of engineering professionals, we understand the challenges faced by engineers in the workplace. By joining together with us, you and your engineer coworkers can improve your pay, benefits, and working conditions.

Fill out our contact form and IFPTE staff will reach out to you with more information about forming a union of engineers in your workplace.

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FAQ

What is a union?

A group of employees who come together to negotiate with their employer over their wages, benefits, and working conditions. The employees are the union—they democratically elect their coworkers who oversee their union’s affairs and conduct negotiations with their employer. Unlike associations, employees in unions have the legal right to negotiate collectively with their employers.

What is collective bargaining?

Collective bargaining is the formal process employees in unions and their employers use to negotiate the terms and conditions of work—including wages, benefits, and working conditions. Similar to the contracts CEOs have that guarantee their pay, benefits, and other conditions of employment, the terms agreed upon during collective bargaining are solidified in a contract called the collective bargaining agreement. Collective bargaining agreements are commonly referred to as union contracts.

Why do engineering professionals need a union?

Engineers should not be treated differently from CEO’s who have the terms of their employment spelled out in a legally binding agreement. Working together, engineers can put their natural problem-solving skills to work, achieving together, what cannot be achieved alone, including fair salary structures, strong benefits, clear steps for career advancement, and work-life-balance.