WASHINGTON, D.C. — Striking Boeing workers have been on the picket line outside numerous facilities for nearly two weeks.
KIRO 7 News crews were in Everett Tuesday morning talking to some of them, who said they expect to be on strike for a long time. Many are unhappy or have outright rejected Boeing’s latest contract offer.
“I think (Boeing) will buckle, and I hope they do because we want them to be serious and actually negotiate,” said striking worker Michael Byrom.
Before the strike, Byrom worked in transportation at Boeing. While he walked the picket line, Federal Aviation Administration officials and the House Transportation Committee debated how Boeing could improve safety.
For Byrom, that conversation is important but he admitted officials may be taking too much time on those issues with the hearing.
“A little too late for me. There’s a lot of things that not just the FAA, but Boeing, in particular, can do on-site at every site to make things a lot more safer,” Byrom said. “These safety measures — these are things we’ve talked about for years to get shaken off and ignored.”
FAA officials have faced criticism that they allowed Boeing to sign off on its own safety standards.
The strike was one issue brought up by Tennessee Congressman Steve Cohen.
“We are here to discuss Boeing, not Boeing’s problem getting capsules to and carrying back astronauts from the Space Station, not concerning their pension plan that they took from their employees a decade ago, and the employees would like to get that fixed pension plan back,” Cohen said.
Washington Congressman Rick Larsen also referenced the work stoppage.
“A shakeup in leadership is not the final answer, it is only the beginning. The company must work to revamp its safety culture, particularly, as it relates to its greatest asset: its workers,” said Larsen.
FAA Director Mike Whitaker says the agency is reevaluating and reforming safety and oversight models for Boeing and revealed those details to the House committee.
“There must be a profound shift in the company’s safety culture, and holistically address its quality assurance and production challenges,” said Whitaker.
Since Jan. 5, Whitaker says more safety inspectors are at Boeing facilities. There’s more engagement with workers, inspections, and auditing.
For now, each aircraft is reviewed and only released from assembly if it has the FAA stamp of approval.
Larsen said Boeing has a responsibility to Washington and the American public to put safety first.
“It’s not enough to build airplanes in the US, the US must build safe airplanes in the US,” he said.
While Congress looks over safety, striking workers would like to get back to work and put those safety plans in place.
Boeing’s so-called “last and best” offer does not give the workers confidence, including Byrom.
“I think that is far from the truth. I think they could do way better,” he said.