The Boeing (NYSE: BA) 787 Dreamliner has been delayed three times, mostly because of problems with suppliers.The situation has gotten so bad that some of the company's customers, large airlines, say they will ask Boeing for compensation. That could cost Boeing a lot of money.
Boeing management has promised that there will be no more delays and that everyone who wants a plane will get one, on time. But, the best laid plans...
The company's large unions may stage work slowdowns. They argue that the work given to suppliers should have gone to them. They claim that delays could have been cut. Of course, now they want to delay the program further all on their own.
"Unions have the upper hand now,'' said Richard Aboulafia, an analyst with Teal Group, an aviation consulting firm in Fairfax, Virginia, told Bloomberg. "They're determined to get their share of the good times."
Boeing management now faces more criticism because its own labor force can't be held in line. The company's stock has already dropped due to the delays. First suppliers, now its own people.
The news shows that incompetent management usually stays incompetent. Boeing did not control its supply chain, and did not know it had component problems until too late. Now it will be accused of not even keeping tabs on its own unions.
Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-09-2008 @ 11:22AM
Peter Seppala said...
THE UNIONS SHOULD NOW WORK TO GET THAT PLANE OUT AS FAST AS IT CAN. AFTERWARDS GET YOUR MONEY. A SLOWDOWN NOW CAN COST YOU THE MONEY THAT YOU SHOULD GET.
5-09-2008 @ 8:46PM
tranmi said...
If the Unions try to slow down the works...They will out their job soon. Are they working for Airbus or Boeing? We are behind the Airbus already... How dumb is it to give the upperhand to Airbus? WAKE UP People!!!