SEATTLE — As the strike is nearing its seventh week, Boeing is back at the bargaining table with its aerospace machinists amid mounting pressure.
The longer it goes on, however, the more business leaders across the U.S. are vocalizing their desire for an end to the strike.
The Association of Washington Business' Kris Johnson told KING 5, "It's the economy that's at stake.”
He and dozens of other business chamber leaders across 41 other states sent a letter Wednesday to leaders of both Boeing and the IAM District 751 union, pleading for an urgent resolution.
The groups wrote, "We were extremely disappointed that union membership rejected the most recent contract proposal.”
Earlier this month, 64% of union members turned down Boeing's proposal to raise their wages by 35% over four years.
The aerospace sector is comprised of 2 million jobs across America, and many of those jobs are in Washington.
"We build the world's best airplanes," said Johnson.
The business leaders' letter also pointed out reduced wages of others outside of Boeing, writing, “Countless companies in the aerospace supply chain are being forced to lay off employees due to decreased work orders.”
One of those companies is in a warehouse in Everett, called Pathfinder Manufacturing.
"We are a supplier for Boeing," said David Trader, CEO of Pathfinder.
Trader is worried for his staff.
"Boeing's 95% of our revenue stream," he said.
It's particularly concerning, as we hurtle toward the consumer-driven holiday spending period with an ongoing strike.
"I've had to, unfortunately, put 14 of my employees on a standby layoff right now. We've did that a little while ago, and if the strike continues, we are looking at possibly doing some more," said Trader.
It is not just those people’s jobs at stake, however; it's also their ability to fulfill their mission of helping kids graduate and get jobs out of high school. Pathfinder is a nonprofit group, that "works with at-risk, special needs high school students in aerospace manufacturing.”
If the strike isn’t over soon, high school students-- like the ones who receive hands-on training through Pathfinder-- will lose out on learning how to provide the parts that make airplanes.
Johnson said there are many negative impacts of this strike that deserve recognition by those at the bargaining table.
"Find a way to get to resolution and then get back to building the world's best airplane. I mean, it's really that simple of a message. Why? Because the entire sector depends upon it," said Johnson.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg announced plans earlier this month to lay off roughly 10 percent of its workforce.
This week, for the second time, the U.S. government’s acting Labor Secretary Julie Su traveled to Washington State to try and broker an end to the stalemate.