It's no great secret that Boeing has been struggling lately. Plagued by problems with first its 787 Dreamliner program, then its 737 MAX aircraft, and more recently with its defense and space business, Boeing was losing money even before the pandemic struck in 2020.

For a company that has lost $33 billion since 2019, a strike that virtually halts production of its major product is the last thing it needs. But that’s the reality for embattled aircraft maker Boeing.

In response, CFO Brian West is to cut costs. But will doing so risk creating long-term damage in the form of employee morale sinking even lower? The latest ordeal for Boeing began on Thursday when about 33,