RENTON, Wash. -- With both sides of the Boeing strike now ready to meet with a federal mediator -- hundreds of workers rallied Thursday, to prove they're staying strong.

KIRO 7 reporter Rick Price got the opportunity to talk with the CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Scott Carson, about the strike, its impact, and a possible way out.

"There appeared to be some room for more discussion to see if we really were understanding each other, not talking past," Carson said.

When asked how the move back to the table started, Carson said union leader Mark Blondin played an important role.

"On Tuesday of this week, Mark placed a call to Chicago to make sure that we, at the senior levels, understood what they were trying to say and I returned that call," Carson said.

At a picket line rally held around noon Thursday, Alaska Airlines pilots and flight attendants joined striking Machinists.

SURVEY: Agree With Strike?
DISCUSS: Machinists' Strike

Machinists president Tom Wroblewski said the two sides could be negotiating within days.

"I'm hopeful that by the end of the weekend we'll be talking," Wroblewski said.

Renton union member Wally Anderson is cautious.

"It's kind of a wait and see for me personally, you never know until the details come out, and who knows what'll happen?" Anderson said.

Carson is neither optimistic nor pessimistic, but said there are things to talk about now.

KIRO 7 asked Carson whether the strike is the last straw -- if it means Boeing's next aircraft model will be built somewhere else, as some analysts have suggested.

"There's so many factors that get into the next aircraft. If you take the 737 as an example, 737 replacement is still easily a half a decade or more away, lots happens in that time. A lot of it not necessarily related to labor situations here in the city," Carson said.

Neither side is offering any guarantees, but they both confirm they will be talking soon.