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As of late October, Boeing’s global diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) department has ceased to exist.
Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that the aerospace company shuttered its DEI team, integrating employees into a human resources group that will focus on talent management and enhancing the employee experience.
Sara Liang Bowen, the former vice president of the DEI department, announced her exit via LinkedIn on Oct. 31 after more than five years, but she did not specify whether the closure was the reason. She said it had been the “privilege of my lifetime” to lead the company’s DEI efforts.
“Our team strived every day to support the evolving brilliance and creativity of our workforce. The team achieved so much – sometimes imperfectly, never easily – and dreamed of doing much more still,” Bowen wrote.
“All of it has been worth it. Because behind every effort there has been a person: An unheard voice, an idea waiting to bloom,” she added. “The people make the company what it is, and it’s the people who will restore it to a state of trusted excellence.”
In October, Boeing revealed plans to cut 17,000 jobs, or about 10% of its workforce. The announcement came after nearly two months of controversial contract negotiations with approximately 33,000 striking workers, which began on Sept. 13, according to Bloomberg.
On Nov. 4, just before Election Day, the workers approved a new contract that includes a 38% pay increase over four years, a $12,000 ratification bonus, improved overtime rules, and an increased match for 401(k) contributions, among other things.
In a statement, union members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 751 and W24 commended U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su for her pivotal role in helping broker a historic agreement between workers and their employers. The deal, they said, ensures middle-class access for thousands of frontline workers and expands economic opportunities. It also emphasized that employees who perform vital, high-quality work deserve a fair return that reflects the value of their labor and supports a good quality of life.
“Working people know what it’s like when a company overreaches and takes away more than is fair,” said Jon Holden, president of IAM District 751, and Brandon Bryant, president of IAM District W24, in a joint statement. “Through this strike and the resulting victory, frontline workers at Boeing have done their part to begin rebalancing the scales in favor of the middle class – and in doing so, we hope to inspire other workers in our industry and beyond to continue standing up for justice at work. Through this victory and the strike that made it possible, IAM members have taken a stand for respect and fair wages in the workplace.”
While Boeing hasn’t officially addressed reports surrounding its DEI department’s dissolution, the company said in a statement that it remains “committed to recruiting and retaining top talent and creating an inclusive work environment where every teammate around the world can perform at their best while supporting the company’s mission,” Bloomberg reported.
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