In his first day at Boeing, Kelly Ortberg visited the factory floor to speak with workers on the 737 MAX program, part of the new CEO's effort to "reset" labor relations.

But as a strike of Boeing's 33,000 Seattle-area workers enters its second week, Ortberg is quickly discovering the challenges involved in realizing that goal.

Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 751 voted overwhelmingly on September 12 to reject a new contract, walking out hours later in a stoppage that has shuttered assembly plants for the 737 MAX and 777.

Chief among the workers demands is a wage hike of 40 percent, much above the 25 percent increase touted by Boeing, a figure workers view as misleading because the deal would also eliminate an annual bonus.

Union members complain of more than a decade of near stagnant pay, a problem exacerbated by the consumer inflation of recent years and by the elevated living costs in the Seattle region, a growing tech hub.

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