Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigators are looking into union allegations that Boeing retaliated against two employees for demanding a re-evaluation of its 777 and 787 aircraft in 2022.
Union Leaders Demand Access to Boeing's 2022 Incident Report
According to the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), the two engineers in question were acting on behalf of the FAA, which outsources some of its certification and monitoring responsibilities to Boeing employees.
Last week, SPEEA took the matter to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), claiming that the two engineers had been given bad assessments after the incident.
Union representatives wanted to view the incident report that Boeing had sent to the FAA in 2022, Reuters reported.
"Boeing can tell Congress and the media all it wants about how retaliation is strictly prohibited. But our union is fighting retaliation cases on a regular basis, and, in this specific case, Boeing is trying to hide information that would shed light on what happened," said SPEEA Director of Strategic Development Rich Plunkett.
However, Boeing claims the inquiry was classified and that only the FAA has permission to see the findings.
In a statement on Tuesday, April 23, the firm said that it would not tolerate any kind of retribution and that workers should feel free to report problems. "After an extensive review of documentation and interviewing more than a dozen witnesses, our investigators found no evidence of retaliation or interference. We have determined the allegations are unsubstantiated," the company said, as reported by CNN.
Apparently, one of the two engineers has resigned from Boeing.
What Happened Between Boeing and the Engineers in 2022?
In 2022, engineers disagreed with Boeing management over applying an alternative set of assumptions to review the onboard computer networks of Boeing 777s and 787s, as the engineers wanted to follow new FAA guidelines.
Managers at Boeing were reportedly opposed, citing concerns that it would increase costs and reduce production timelines, according to the union. Following almost six months of discussion, the two engineers won out with support from the FAA, and Boeing had to redo the necessary work.
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