ST. LOUIS — The Boeing Co. said Thursday it would expand its push for replacement workers and boost recruitment efforts as its unionized workforce continued to strike.

Dan Gillian, the aerospace giant's top St. Louis executive, said in a letter to employees that the two-month standoff could go on for weeks or months longer "in light of the union leadership’s actions over the past few weeks."

He said that as a result, the company was activating the next phase of its contingency plan, which had already included hiring replacement workers and job fairs.

Gillian cast the job fairs as a "success" and said the first group of new hires would begin training Friday.

"We’re also immediately expanding the jobs we’re recruiting for," Gillian said, "and stepping up our recruitment efforts to increa

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