The hearing featured testimony from current and former Boeing employees.
New Delhi:
In a stunning admission before a US Congressional panel, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun admitted that the aerospace giant retaliated against whistleblowers, contradicting its publicly stated policies.
Calhoun’s acknowledgment came during a tense Senate hearing aimed at investigating Boeing’s safety practices following two fatal crashes involving the 737 MAX aircraft in 2018 and 2019. Those tragedies led to 346 deaths and exposed serious flaws in manufacturing and oversight processes. from Boeing.
Moment of reckoning
Senator Richard Blumenthal, who presided over the hearing, was unflinching in his criticism of Boeing’s leadership. “Boeing is experiencing a moment of reckoning and an opportunity to change a broken safety culture,” he said.
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Blumenthal revealed that the subcommittee overseeing the investigation received testimony from more than a dozen whistleblowers, many of whom described a workplace where safety concerns were often dismissed or punished.
When asked how many Boeing employees have been fired for retaliating against whistleblowers, Calhoun confessed, “Senator, I don’t have that number off the top of my head. But I know it happens.”
Whistleblower Testimonies
The hearing featured testimony from current and former Boeing employees who painted a troubling picture of a company that prioritizes profits over safety. Among them was engineer Sam Salehpour, who claimed that the Dreamliner could suffer a catastrophic accident due to faulty manufacturing processes.
Salehpour, who worked at Boeing for nearly two decades, likened a potential incident to repeatedly bending a paper clip. “You do it once or twice… it doesn’t break. But it does break at some point,” he said in April this year.
A subcommittee memo detailed new whistleblower complaints. One particularly alarming report came from Sam Mohawk, who alleged that Boeing ordered improperly stored parts hidden from federal aviation inspectors. According to Mr. Mohawk, this would have been done to avoid costly increases in storage capacity and personnel.
Dave Calhoun Defense
Calhoun began his testimony with an apology to the families of the victims of the 737 MAX crashes, stating, “Our culture is far from perfect, but we are taking action and making progress.” Despite his assurances, Mr. Calhoun’s inability to provide specific numbers on instances of whistleblower retaliation drew sharp criticism from lawmakers.
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri accused Calhoun of putting profit over safety. He criticized Calhoun’s $33 million compensation package and questioned his leadership, saying, “You’re the problem. And I hope to God you don’t destroy this company before it can be saved.”
Hawley said it was a “travesty” that Calhoun was still in office and why he hadn’t resigned.
“Senator, I can handle it,” Calhoun responded.
This story originally appeared on Ndtv.com read the full story
