Boeing addresses more labor strife amid attempt to resuscitate its reputation
The strike that began just after midnight Monday involving more than 3,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers arrives as Boeing is attempts resuscitate its reputation.
Boeing, once a beacon of U.S. manufacturing and the gold standard in the global aircraft industry, has been rocked by fatal crashes, investigations and changes in leadership.
Following is a quick rundown of events that have buffeted the Arlington, Va., company.
___
January 2013: 787s worldwide are grounded nearly three weeks after lithium ion batteries that are part of the planes led to a fire in one plane and smoke in a second.
August 2015: The first 737 Max plane rolls off the production line and within a year are undergoing flight tests.
Oct. 29, 2018: Lion Air Flight 610, a Boeing 737 Max 8, plunges into the Java Sea off the coast of Indonesia minutes after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board. Questions are raised over a new Boeing flight-control system called MCAS that Boeing did not disclose to pilots and airlines. Indonesian investigators say the Flight 610 pilots struggled for control as the automated system pushed the nose of the plane down more than two dozen times.
March 1, 2019: Wall Street remains enamored with Boeing as commercial aircraft orders rocket. Shares of Boeing Co. close at an all-time high of $430.35.
March 10, 2019: Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a Boeing 737 Max 8, crashes after takeoff from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, killing 157 passengers and crew members. Shares of Boeing begin a long, downward slide and have yet to recover.
March 2019: Within days of the second crash, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and regulators in nations around the world order the grounding of all 737 Max jets.
Dec. 23, 2019: Boeing ousts CEO Dennis Muilenburg, who was seen as pressuring the FAA to lift the Max grounding order.
Jan. 7, 2021: U.S. Justice Department charges Boeing with fraud but won't prosecute the company for misleading regulators about the 737 Max if it pays a $2.5 billion settlement.
Jan. 5, 2024: A panel covering an unused emergency exit blows off a 737 Max 9 during an Alaska Airlines flight. Pilots land the plane safely.
Feb. 26, 2024: A panel of outside experts, convened after the two deadly crashes, reports Boeing's safety culture falls short despite the company's efforts to fix it.
March 11, 2024: A LATAM Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flight between Australia and New Zealand suddenly plunges, injuring 50 people. Boeing tells airlines to inspect switches on pilots' seats after a published report said an accidental cockpit seat movement likely cause the rapid loss of altitude.
March 25, 2024: Dave Calhoun, who replaced Muilenburg, says he will step down as CEO by year-end as part of a broader shakeup of Boeing leadership.
July 7, 2024: Boeing agrees to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government for misleading regulators who approved pilot-training standards for the Max.
July 31, 2024: Boeing names Kelly Ortberg as its new chief executive. Ortberg is a trained engineer and was CEO of aerospace supplier Rockwell Collins for eight years. Many see his appointment as an attempt by Boeing to get back to its roots.
Sept 13, 2024: About 33,000 Boeing factory workers walk off the job in a strike that will cripple production at one of the preeminent manufacturers in the U.S. for almost two months. It is the first labor action taken against the company in 16 years.
May 23, 2025: The Justice Department reaches a deal with Boeing that takes criminal prosecution off the table for allegedly misleading regulators about the 737 Max jetliner before the two fatal planes crashes. Boeing agreed to pay or invest more than $1.1 billion, including an additional $445 million for crash victims' families, removing the risk of a criminal conviction that would have jeopardized the company's status as a federal contractor.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
North Carolina DMV audit recommends reforms to reverse customer wait times, worker morale
Customers at North Carolina 's Division of Motor Vehicles are waiting longer in lines that are often far away from home, while agency staffing fails to keep pace with the state's surging population, according to agency reviews that also recommend major reforms. Elected Republican Auditor Dave Boliek on Monday released two audits totaling nearly 600 pages that scrutinize the DMV — the bane of motorists in many states. But long lines and frustrations are acute in the ninth-largest state. 'Our DMV affects the economy. It affects people having to take off of work unnecessarily. It takes our students out of the classroom,' Boliek told reporters. 'This has to be fixed and it has to be a top priority.' Constituent complaints, REAL ID brings problems to fore Boliek promised during last year's campaign to conduct a top-to-bottom review of the DMV if elected. Elected leaders' constituents have complained about the inability to book appointments online close to home and the struggles for their teenagers to complete driving tests. It's not unusual for customers to camp outside driver's license offices in the wee hours hoping to get seen later that day. Problems continued as federal REAL ID license security standards took effect in May. Erin Van Dorn of Holly Springs said at Boliek's news conference it took her and her teenage son four trips to the DMV — the last time 130 miles (209 kilometers) away in Mount Airy — to obtain his license. Information technology and staffing shortages were to blame. 'My son has missed a total of four days of school,' Van Horn said. 'It's just been a very big ordeal for us.' New Democratic Gov. Josh Stein's administration brought in former state legislator Paul Tine as the new Division of Motor Vehicles commissioner and has pledged a turnaround. Longer waits, continued examiner shortages A DMV performance audit Monday said average wait times for customers at the state's driver's license locations increased by over 15% since 2019 to 1 hour and 15 minutes. And close to 14% of the wait times lasted over 2 hours and 30 minutes — a 79% increase from 2019. And nearly half of all transactions by customers aren't happening at the license office closest to where they live. 'The employee experience has diminished as well,' Boliek said. The audit said there were 160 vacant license examiner positions as of April. And while the state's population has grown by 29% over the last 20 years, the number of examiner positions has grown by just 10%. Boliek's staff heard DMV employee complaints about burnout, security and low pay — average examiner position salaries were well below $50,000 last year. The audit attributes many problems to DMV's relationship to the Cabinet-level state Department of Transportation that oversees the agency. The auditor said DMV has undersized influence within DOT when it comes to decision-making and getting budget requests approved by the legislature. Agency independence among recommendations Boliek's most significant recommendation is for policymakers to consider turning DMV into an autonomous agency separate from DOT. Boliek said the recommendation is no slight upon Tine and current Teansportation Secretary Joey Hopkins, whom he said are taking steps toward reform. But he said a permanent change is needed to address situations where the commissioner and secretary don't cooperate as well. Other recommendations include creating a public online dashboard measuring keys performance goals and initiating nonconventional initiatives to reduce wait times and backlogs. Boliek said outside driving school instructors could administer road tests required of new drivers. The DMV could open 'pop-up' license offices at a vacant mall anchor store or create 'fast-pass' options for customers who pay extra to reach the front of the line. 'We can't keep doing things the same old way," he said. DMV, DOT chiefs back most recommendations In a written response to the audits, Tine and Hopkins agreed with nearly all of the recommendations and said many already getting carried out. But they opposed the recommendation to separate DMV, saying the agency's core functions align with the Transportation Department's mission to improve highway safety. 'We know that with the right leadership and follow-through, we will get results -– getting people out of lines and empowering our hard-working DMV employees," Stein spokesperson Morgan Hopkins said. The GOP-controlled General Assembly could still attempt to implement the change. A stopgap budget measure on Stein's desk provides funds to hire over 60 license examiners. And a new state law has established a temporary moratorium on renewing standard licenses, allowing them to remain valid within North Carolina for up to two years beyond the expiration date.
Reuters
12 minutes ago
- Reuters
Fed still unlikely to cut rates more than once in 2025, says CIO
While the expectation the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates several times this year has skyrocketed since Friday's weak jobs report, SWBC Chief Investment Officer Chris Brigati says he still thinks the Fed may not lower them at all in 2025.
Daily Mail
12 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Fire near Las Vegas blankets iconic Strip in smoke as tourists continue to shun 'dying' city
A raging wildfire has blanketed Las Vegas and its iconic main drag in thick smoke as the struggling tourist destination faces yet another blow. Smoke from the California 's Gifford Fire burning north of Santa Barbara has been spreading and filling the Las Vegas Valley since Sunday. Video footage posted to social media by the National Weather Service in Sin City on Monday showed darkened skies above the Las Vegas Strip. The NWS warned that the hazardous conditions could persist for several more days due to southwest winds carrying the noxious plumes. 'Smoke from the Gifford Fire north of Santa Barbara continues to filter into the Las Vegas Valley, reducing visibility and air quality,' officials wrote. The Gifford Fire had burned more 65,000 acres and remained at just three percent containment as of Monday afternoon. The massive blaze continues to spread dangerous smoke across state lines into Nevada. Officials are advising residents and tourists to limit their time outdoors and keep windows closed as the haze continues to impact air quality across the valley. Video footage showed the smoky skies above Las Vegas International Airport The smoke arrived as Vegas continues to struggle with a major drop in tourism. One of the most popular hotel and resort chains in the gambling mecca recently reported a sudden drop-off in business. Caesars Entertainment, which runs eight casino resorts and one non-gaming hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, reported a 3.7 percent year-over-year decline in net revenue in the second quarter of 2025, SEC filings revealed. The company, which owns Caesars Palace and Harrah's Las Vegas, also saw a 21-percent yea-over-year drop in net income in the second quarter. From April to June, the company brought in $1.054billion in Las Vegas, down from $1.095billion in the same time period in 2024. One of the reasons Sin City's businesses are hurting is because international visitors have continued to shun the US - including some upset over the presidency of Donald Trump. Another reason tourists might be skipping the Strip is its high prices. A visitor recently shared her shock after she was charged $26 for a bottle of Fiji water from the minibar in her room at the Aria Resort & Casino. And a British magician was left outraged after he was billed $74.31 for two drinks at Sphere in Las Vegas. Las Vegas welcomed 3.39 million visitors in March, down almost eight percent from 3.68million in February, according to a report by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Hotels were 82.9 percent full the same month, compared with 85.3 percent full in March 2024. Casinos also reported an almost five percent drop over the past year. Statewide, the figure fell by 1.1 percent.
