Boeing addresses more labor strife amid attempt to resuscitate its
reputation
[August 05, 2025] By
The Associated Press
A strike by thousands of workers that build fighter jets for Boeing at
three U.S. plants is the second labor disruption for the plane builder
in less than a year.
The strike that began just after midnight Monday involving more than
3,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and
Aerospace Workers arrives as Boeing is attempts resuscitate its
reputation.
Boeing, once a beacon of U.S. manufacturing and the gold standard in the
global aircraft industry, has been rocked by fatal crashes,
investigations and changes in leadership.
Following is a quick rundown of events that have buffeted the Arlington,
Va., company.
___
January 2013: 787s worldwide are grounded nearly three weeks after
lithium ion batteries that are part of the planes led to a fire in one
plane and smoke in a second.
August 2015: The first 737 Max plane rolls off the production line and
within a year are undergoing flight tests.
Oct. 29, 2018: Lion Air Flight 610, a Boeing 737 Max 8, plunges into the
Java Sea off the coast of Indonesia minutes after takeoff from Jakarta,
killing all 189 people on board. Questions are raised over a new Boeing
flight-control system called MCAS that Boeing did not disclose to pilots
and airlines. Indonesian investigators say the Flight 610 pilots
struggled for control as the automated system pushed the nose of the
plane down more than two dozen times.
March 1, 2019: Wall Street remains enamored with Boeing as commercial
aircraft orders rocket. Shares of Boeing Co. close at an all-time high
of $430.35.
March 10, 2019: Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a Boeing 737 Max 8,
crashes after takeoff from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, killing 157 passengers
and crew members. Shares of Boeing begin a long, downward slide and have
yet to recover.
March 2019: Within days of the second crash, the U.S. Federal Aviation
Administration and regulators in nations around the world order the
grounding of all 737 Max jets.
Dec. 23, 2019: Boeing ousts CEO Dennis Muilenburg, who was seen as
pressuring the FAA to lift the Max grounding order.
Jan. 7, 2021: U.S. Justice Department charges Boeing with fraud but
won't prosecute the company for misleading regulators about the 737 Max
if it pays a $2.5 billion settlement.
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A line of Southwest Air Boeing 737 jets are parked near the
company's production plant while being stored at Paine Field Friday,
April 23, 2021, in Everett, Wash. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
 Jan. 5, 2024: A panel covering an
unused emergency exit blows off a 737 Max 9 during an Alaska
Airlines flight. Pilots land the plane safely.
Feb. 26, 2024: A panel of outside experts, convened after the two
deadly crashes, reports Boeing’s safety culture falls short despite
the company’s efforts to fix it.
March 11, 2024: A LATAM Airlines Boeing 787-9
Dreamliner flight between Australia and New Zealand suddenly
plunges, injuring 50 people. Boeing tells airlines to inspect
switches on pilots’ seats after a published report said an
accidental cockpit seat movement likely cause the rapid loss of
altitude.
March 25, 2024: Dave Calhoun, who replaced Muilenburg, says he will
step down as CEO by year-end as part of a broader shakeup of Boeing
leadership.
July 7, 2024: Boeing agrees to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud
the U.S. government for misleading regulators who approved
pilot-training standards for the Max.
July 31, 2024: Boeing names Kelly Ortberg as its new chief
executive. Ortberg is a trained engineer and was CEO of aerospace
supplier Rockwell Collins for eight years. Many see his appointment
as an attempt by Boeing to get back to its roots.
Sept 13, 2024: About 33,000 Boeing factory workers walk off the job
in a strike that will cripple production at one of the preeminent
manufacturers in the U.S. for almost two months. It is the first
labor action taken against the company in 16 years.
May 23, 2025: The Justice Department reaches a deal with Boeing that
takes criminal prosecution off the table for allegedly misleading
regulators about the 737 Max jetliner before the two fatal planes
crashes. Boeing agreed to pay or invest more than $1.1 billion,
including an additional $445 million for crash victims’ families,
removing the risk of a criminal conviction that would have
jeopardized the company’s status as a federal contractor.
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