SEATTLE — Boeing factory workers held a large rally in Seattle on Tuesday to demand a better wage deal, mounting pressure on new CEO Kelly Ortberg to end a bitter strike that has plunged the planemaker further into financial crisis.
Hundreds of striking workers packed the main hall at their union’s headquarters chanting “Pension! Pension! Pension!” and “One day longer, one day stronger!”
Outside, factory workers told Reuters that the recent 17,000 job cuts announced by the company would not deter them from continuing to fight for higher wages and an improved pensions.
Top Washington state Congressional Democrats added pressure on Boeing, calling on both sides to reach a mutually beneficial deal “providing workers with the wages and benefits that acknowledge the essential and irreplaceable work they perform for the company.”
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell on X published the letter to union and company leaders by her, Senator Patty Murray and Representatives Adam Smith and Rick Larsen.
Around 33,000 of Boeing’s unionized West Coast workers, most in Washington state, have been on strike since Sept. 13, demanding a 40% wage increase spread over four years and halting production of the planemaker’s best-selling 737 MAX and its 767 and 777 widebodies.
“We want Boeing management to know that we’re strong and united, and their scare tactics aren’t going to work,” said Matthew Wright, a 52-year-old electrician.
The show of force comes as Boeing moves to give itself financial breathing space on Wall Street. It announced a window for up to $25 billion in stock and debt offerings over the next three years on Tuesday.