(PatriotsUnited.org) – Boeing is facing yet more public backlash after a fresh whistleblower has complained about the firm manufacturing 737 Max planes with defective parts. This shock report emerged mere hours ahead of the firm’s CEO David Calhoun, who has been in the top role since 2020, being summoned to testify on Capitol Hill.
Sam Mohawk, who worked as a quality assurance inspector for the air giant, said the firm had been failing to keep proper track of non-conforming parts, an admission detailed by the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Mohawk said such parts were those that could be fixed “or were mislabeled”. However, he worried that the parts could cause major issues and had therefore complained to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, even stating that higher-ups at Boeing had urged him to conceal evidence from the federal regulator.
He complained that the company did not care about its workers and simply “pushed profits”. He also said people who spoke out against certain decisions were sidelined and blame was constantly shifted by those in charge. A Boeing spokesperson claimed to have reviewed this latest whistleblower testimony on Monday night, and that they “continuously encourage” its workers to flag any issues. Boeing planes have been forced to make scores of urgent landings this year due to safety issues.
During the hearing Calhoun said the company was “far from perfect” but that things were being changed to improve the situation. He also issued an apology to the families of people who lost their lives in two recent Boeing crashes, on Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines respectively, saying the firm were “deeply sorry” and stressing that “safety” was their utmost priority. Somewhat expectantly, Calhoun admitted his failure to directly engage with whistleblowers, citing the firm’s stringent no-retaliation policy. He also blamed many of the company’s flaws on workers who were not properly trained for their jobs, rather than systemic issues with production.
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