The America’s Work Force Union Podcast’s independent labor voice and retired International President of the International Association of Machists and Allied Workers, Tom Buffenbarger, discussed the new updates from Boeing and also looks back at his time working with President Joe Biden.
Over the past seven years, Boeing’s 737 MAX line has been in the news for several safety and engineering hazards, including two fatal crashes that resulted in 346 deaths. Among the issues were several design flaws that contributed to the incidents. Buffenbarger claimed the 737 MAX was originally supposed to be a union made plane. However, after Boeing sold it’s union manufacturing facility in Kansas, the plane was designed and developed by non-union workers in South Carolina. According to Buffenbarger, these flaws were due to a lack of trained workers at the non-union shop, eventually leading several 737 MAX planes to be grounded.
Boeing has since bought back the union facility in Wichita, Kan. and the design flaws have been remedied. However, that hasn’t been the end of the fallout for the company. Buffenbarger talked about the recent decision against Boeing, that resulted in a guilty plea to conspiring to defraud the U.S. Government. He talked about the fine the company has to pay to the families impacted by the fatal crashes, and how the verdict could impact the union work force at Boeing.
Finally, with the recent news that President Biden will not seek a reelection, Buffenbarger discussed his time working with then Vice-President and U.S. Sen. Joe Biden. Buffenbarger discussed the work they did advocating for workers and unions in the U.S. Buffenbarger discussed Biden’s legacy and the positive impact that he had on the labor movement during his time in office, ending by calling Biden, “the most union friendly president in U.S. history.”
Listen to the show above to hear more from Buffenbarger.
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