Boeing strike enters second month as factory workers rally in Seattle

Seattle (Reuters): Boeing factory workers will hold 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.

Around 33,000 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 Boeing's best-selling 737 MAX and its 767 and 777 widebodies.

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, as well as a $10 billion credit agreement. Boeing shares were up 2.5% at $152.82 in early afternoon.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) and Boeing leadership are locked in a paralyzing blame game over the strike, with both sides filing charges accusing the other of unfair labor practices during negotiations.

Boeing last week withdrew its latest offer, which included a 30% wage increase over four years, after talks also attended by federal mediators broke down.

U.S. Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su met with Boeing and the IAM in Seattle on Monday in a bid to break the deadlock, in her first in-person intervention.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell and Representative Pramila Jayapal, both Democrats from Washington state, were due to speak at the rally at 12 p.m. PDT (1900 GMT), the IAM said.

"This rally is more than just a gathering - it's our battle cry to the company that we are standing strong," the IAM said in a statement.