Boeing’s Safety Failures Highlighted in Tense Senate Hearing with CEO
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun faced intense scrutiny during a recent Senate hearing. This hearing was focused on the safety practices of the company in the wake of two tragic 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019. Let us remind you that these crashes resulted in 346 deaths.
During the hearing, Calhoun made a surprising admission: Boeing has retaliated against whistleblowers, contradicting its own stated policies.
Senator Richard Blumenthal was on the chair during the hearing. He continued criticism of Boeing’s leadership. “Boeing stands at a moment of reckoning and an opportunity to change a broken safety culture,” he asserted. Blumenthal revealed that the sub-committee received testimony from over a dozen whistleblowers, many of whom described a workplace where safety concerns were often ignored or punished.
When asked how many Boeing employees had been fired for retaliating against whistleblowers then Calhoun admitted, “Senator, I don’t have that number on the tip of my tongue. But I know it happens.”
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Whistleblower Testimonies
The hearing included disturbing picture of company and showed how Boeing is prioritizing profits over safety. Engineer Sam Salehpour, who worked at Boeing for nearly two decades, warned of potential catastrophic accidents due to flawed manufacturing processes. He likened it to bending a paper clip: “You do it once or twice… it doesn’t break. But it breaks at some time.”
A memo from the sub-committee detailed new whistleblower complaints, including a particularly alarming account from Sam Mohawk. He alleged that Boeing ordered improperly stored parts to be hidden from federal aviation inspectors to avoid costly increases in storage capacity and staff.
Dave Calhoun’s Defense
Calhoun began his testimony by apologizing to the families of the 737 MAX crash victims. “Our culture is far from perfect, but we are taking action and making progress,” he stated. However, his inability to provide specific numbers on whistleblower retaliation cases drew sharp criticism from lawmakers.
Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri accused Calhoun of prioritizing profit over safety. He criticized Calhoun’s $33 million compensation package and questioned his leadership, saying, “You’re the problem. And I just hope to God that you don’t destroy this company before it can be saved.” Hawley called it a “travesty” that Calhoun was still in his position and questioned why he hasn’t resigned.
“Senator, I’m sticking this through,” Calhoun responded.
