Boeing's new CEO wants to 'reset' relations with biggest union

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg met with union representatives during his first week on the job and said he's "committed to reset" the company's relationship with workers as the U.S. planemaker heads into crucial labor negotiations next month.

Ortberg told the presidents of Boeing's largest workers union and another labor group that he's seeking "a new contract where we can come together to build a strong future for our employees in the region," he said in a memo to Boeing employees that was shared by the company.

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Avoiding a potentially crippling strike is one of the top tasks facing Ortberg as he takes over as Boeing's CEO. The company is in the "final phase" of contract negotiations, according to the memo, with labor groups representing more than 33,000 workers.

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Ortberg, who succeeded former CEO Dave Calhoun last week, said he also conducted one-on-one meetings with some airline customers, walked the 737 factory in Renton, Washington, and visited the facilities of Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc. facility in Kansas. That company is the key supplier that Boeing is the process of buying back to improve its manufacturing quality after a series of defects.