Tom Buffenbarger, former International President of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about the design flaws with the 737 Series planes produced by Boeing at a non-union plant in South Carolina.
Over the past few years, planes produced in Boeing's non-union South Carolina plant have had several safety and operational problems. The South Carolina plant is the only non-union Boeing plant and came to be following large tax breaks from the state’s government. Buffenbarger discussed some of the recent mechanical failures and safety concerns of the 737 Series.
To help resolve the flaws in the new planes from the South Carolina plant, Boeing is sending the 737 Series planes to their Seattle plant for repair. Buffenbarger believes the plant in South Carolina has not been equipped to properly produce the 737 Series planes, and outside of the Seattle plant, there isn’t another plant prepared to produce the 737s correctly. Buffenbarger explained that a plant in Wichita, Kansas, which was sold, was the only other plant with the infrastructure to properly build Boeing’s most popular series.
In response to the 737s ongoing production problems, Boeing is now buying back the Wichita plant, which is now owned by Spirit AeroSystems. Buffenbarger talked about conversations between himself, and a previous Boeing CEO who claimed the union workforce at the Wichita plant is the key to the success of the 737 Series planes. He discussed the possibility of a renewed organizing attempt at the South Carolina plant to create a safer workplace environment for the workers and provide them with the tools to succeed.
Listen to the show above to hear more from Buffenbarger.