Boeing has recently been described as "beset by misfortune," repeatedly deep in the whirlwind of public opinion and crisis of confidence due to safety issues. Although the military and some institutions are still supporting Boeing with genuine financial backing, preventing them from collapsing under these crises, these safety storms continue to plague them.
After a six-week investigation, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration concluded that Boeing and its supplier, Spirit Aerosystems, failed repeatedly to comply with production quality control requirements. Although no specific details were made public, it's exactly these kind of variable issues that are the hardest to explain, making it difficult for Boeing to prove its planes are safe.
On March 19, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker stated that Boeing must improve its internal safety culture and address quality issues before he will allow the company to increase production of the Boeing 737 MAX. Until then, Boeing must be restricted in producing related models.
The move to reduce production can't be mentioned without bringing up the recent "Boeing whistleblower," an employee named John Barnett who worked at Boeing for 32 years, 17 of which he spent as a quality manager. During his tenure, he repeatedly reported internal production process issues and even found problems with the products during production. However, after escalating these issues, he received nothing but gag orders, suppression, and punishment, resulting in these problems not being addressed or improved.
Shortly after bringing everything to light and taking his case to court, John Barnett was found to have "committed suicide" in his car, the cause of death being "a self-inflicted gunshot wound." However, according to his lawyer and friends, he was in good mental health, and there were no signs or indications of any intent to end his life. Furthermore, he had specifically told friends that if he died, it would not be by suicide.
The death of the "Boeing whistleblower" stopped him from exposing more internal issues, but it also pushed Boeing back into the center of public scrutiny. How many more skeletons does Boeing have in its closet to resort to such measures? Such doubts, once formed, spread quickly like a wildfire.
While Boeing grapples with the whistleblower incident, internal personnel have once again backstabbed them. This month, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers representing 32,000 workers at Boeing's Washington state factory began contract negotiations with Boeing. One of their goals is to gain a seat on Boeing's board to increase their voice.
According to an interview with the union's president, Jon Holden, Boeing has drawn close attention from passengers, clients, and regulatory bodies because of its loss of control over quality. This not only resulted in damage to the board and management but also put the jobs of lower-level workers at risk. Therefore, they need to step up and make changes within the company.
Besides gaining a voice on the board, the union has other demands, for example, a 40% pay raise within three years. However, Boeing has currently only stated that contract negotiations are underway without further response.
