In a recent and controversial move, Boeing has announced its commitment to celebrating employees who report safety concerns, despite the recent deaths of two whistleblowers and a fresh investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) into the aircraft manufacturer’s practices.
Scott Stocker, Vice President and General Manager of Boeing’s 787 Program, expressed this commitment in a memo on April 29, following a report by an employee about irregularities observed during a quality test on a 787 Dreamliner. The reported issue concerned a jet’s wing and body junction, a critical area which further investigations revealed had been inadequately tested by several other employees.
“We will use this moment to celebrate him, and to remind us all about the kind of behavior we will and will not accept as a team,” Stocker wrote. He emphasized Boeing’s “zero-tolerance policy” for not adhering to company safety and quality protocols. Although the issues reported did not pose an immediate flight or safety hazard, they were promptly disclosed to the FAA.
The FAA’s response involves requiring Boeing to reinspect all 787 airplanes still in the production system and to develop a plan addressing the in-service fleet. This directive follows on the heels of another investigation concluded in March, which uncovered numerous safety concerns in the production of the 737 Max.
This new commitment to whistleblower support comes at a precarious time for Boeing, which is grappling with not only regulatory probes but also the unsettling deaths of whistleblowers. Joshua Dean, a quality auditor for Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, died suddenly of an infection on May 2. Dean had raised concerns in 2023 about the troubled 737 Max models. In a tragic turn of events, John Barnett, a former Boeing employee, took his own life in March shortly after testifying about faulty oxygen masks on Boeing flights.
Contrasting sharply with the company’s recent affirmations, testimonies from a Senate hearing on April 17 painted a grim picture of Boeing’s treatment of whistleblowers. Sam Salehpour, a quality engineer with 30 years at Boeing, detailed retaliatory actions taken against him after he reported safety violations. According to Salehpour, his supervisors curtailed his involvement in meetings and reassigned him after he voiced persistent concerns.
Moreover, a lawsuit filed the day after the Senate hearing by the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) supports claims of retaliation. The suit alleges that Boeing provided negative performance reviews to employees who disputed company safety practices and discouraged them from using the company’s “Speak Up” protocols.
Ray Goforth, Executive Director of SPEEA, criticized Boeing’s transparency, stating, “Boeing has forfeited the right to be taken at its word by anyone.”
As Boeing attempts to navigate through its multiple challenges, the world watches closely to see if its renewed pledge to uphold whistleblower protections will mark a turning point in its corporate culture or merely serve as a public relations maneuver.