Boeing factory workers pressured to prioritize speed over quality: report

WASHINGTON — Boeing workers felt a pressure to prioritize production speed over quality, according to the results of a U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee (PSI) special investigation released Wednesday.

The report, which also found that Boeing factory workers said they did not receive enough training for work, was published ahead of a hearing Wednesday with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael Whitaker. The hearing is the third in an ongoing inquiry by the PSI.

“Only 47% percent of respondents answered favorably to the statement, ‘Schedule pressures do not cause my team to lower our standards,'” according to the report, referring to a May 2024 employee survey by Boeing.

“The FAA recorded 23 examples ‘where employees failed to follow processes or lacked proficiency,'” the investigation found. The examples were found during a special audit from January and February 2024.

A door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX plane in January leading to concerns of both Boeing production and FAA oversight.

At least two lawsuits, including a class action suit, were filed in King County, where Boeing builds its 737 MAX fleet.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators found that bolts securing the door panel to the frame of the fuselage were missing.

According to the U.S. regulators’ preliminary report released in February, the lack of certain damage around the panel, which is called a door plug, indicates that all four bolts were missing before the plane took off.

The PSI report published Wednesday also found that Boeing continuously failed to ensure that parts that don’t meet specifications are appropriately documented and stored so that those parts are not installed on aircraft.

“Boeing’s quality inspection procedures and the FAA’s review of those procedures continue to raise questions about the qualifications and independence of individuals performing inspections,” the report said. “In some fabrication and sub-assembly aspects of Boeing’s production in Puget Sound and Salt Lake City, Utah, facilities, Boeing personnel are allowed to inspect the quality of their own work.”

The PSI added that the FAA told the Subcommittee investigating that inspecting the quality of their own work ” appeared to pose an inherent conflict of interest.”

A senate committee on Wednesday discussed that report, which states Boeing struggles to train and equip manufacturing workers.

Lawmakers then turned their attention to FAA oversight.

“I worry about these reports that there’s this sort of fratty culture between the FAA and Boeing,” Sen. Josh Hawley stated.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal added the FAA must do more to review Boeing’s safety practices, conduct unannounced audits, and ensure whistleblowers feel safe to speak up.

“The FAA can’t shy away from holding Boeing accountable. We can’t wait for another tragedy to act effectively,” Sen. Blumenthal said.

FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker addressed that after the door plug blew off a plane in January the FAA changed the way it does its inspections.

“There are now six key importance indicators we monitor constantly that tell us how they’re doing on traveled work, on employee training,” Whitaker explained.

But, the committee questioned whether that’s enough. For example, at the 1-million square foot facility in Renton with 12,000 employees, the FAA says it has 11 inspectors on the floor with a goal of adding two more by the end of the year.

“The goal here is a culture change at Boeing and that is a very long-term project,” Whitaker said.

Boeing is also currently embroiled in a contract dispute with its machinists, where workers are striking for better pay and benefits.

The airplane manufacturer sent union leaders their “best and final offer” Monday after a failed round of mediation last week.

Members of the machinists’ union have been picketing after voting nearly unanimously to go on strike on Sept. 13.

The union that represents aerospace engineers at Boeing also rejected a request from the company to furlough workers in an effort to save money during a strike of 33,000 machinists.