Tom Buffenbarger, an independent labor voice, joined America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the potential for more cuts to safety procedures in the rail industry. Buffenbarger also talked about Boeing’s mechanical malfunctions and how they can avoid losing the consumer's trust.
Freight rail carriers are petitioning the federal railroad administration to delay safety inspections on railroad equipment. The carriers claim the inspections are too frequent and take too long. As we approach the one-year anniversary of the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Buffenbarger questioned the timeline by carriers and hopes the unions and leaders in the rail industry will ensure that safety inspections are improved and not delayed.
Boeing is dealing with several grounded airplanes from their 737-9 line due to failures on several of its planes. Buffenbarger talked about the issues he believes led to the malfunctions. Buffenbarger also discussed his opinion on what steps need to be taken by Boeing to ensure they produce a safe airplane.
Finally, Buffenbarger discussed the similarities between Boeing and General Electric. GE suffered major mechanical issues in the early 2000s, and he discussed the steps GE took to try and fix the issues but instead lost the consumer's trust in their products. He discussed why bringing in business people to solve technical problems isn’t right, but he’s seeing Boeing going that route. If they are not careful, the trust and safety established along with the Boeing name will be lost for good, Buffenbarger said.
Hear more from Buffenbarger by listening to the show above.