---
title: Discussion about the latest on Boeing design flaws and lawsuit
description: The America’s Work Force Union Podcast is the nation’s premier daily labor program. Tom Buffenbarger joined us on today’s show.
image: https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/AWF-blog-image-template_red_AWF.jpg
---

 1 min read

Season 5, Episode 146

# Discussion about the latest on Boeing design flaws and lawsuit

[ awfblog ](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/author/awfblog)  July 23, 2024

[America's Work Force Union Podcast](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/americas-work-force-union-podcast) [AWF](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/awf)

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Guest Name:

---

Tom Buffenbarger

 Guest Website:

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[America's Work Force Union Podcast](http://www.awfpodcast.com) 

 

 Guest Social Media:

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[ Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/MachinistsUnion)

[ Twitter](https://twitter.com/MachinistsUnion)

[ YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/FranticHarbor)

[ LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/)

 Supportive Documents:

---

The America’s Work Force Union Podcast’s independent labor voice and retired International President of the [International Association of Machists and Allied Workers](https://www.goiam.org/), 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.

---

 America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.

 America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.

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