Boeing’s turnaround just got even harder. Here’s why

Problems at Boeing go back years, if not decades. And they just got a lot harder to fix.

Problems at Boeing go back years, if not decades. And they just got a lot harder to fix. In addition to the spate of safety incidents that has undermined the company’s public image, raised worries about quality, sparked numerous investigations and led to a shakeup of executives — including a brand new CEO — the aircraft manufacturer is battling a costly and lengthy strike at its Washington state factories. New CEO Kelly Ortberg said ending the strike — which has brought Boeing’s commercial airplane production to a near halt — was a top priority and a key to fixing its financial problems. But with 64% of IAM members voting no on the company’s latest offer, getting a once-great American company back on track appears harder than ever. Problems with the quality and safety of Boeing’s planes have been well documented over the past five years. Numerous company whistleblowers and outside analysts say those problems came from Boeing cutting corners and putting speed of production ahead of quality and safety. Now it appears that demands the company made during good financial times that its largest union forfeit a pension plan or risk losing their jobs is spurring backlash from employees and fueling a longer, costly strike.