Nov 14 (Reuters) - GE Vernova's ( GEV ) offshore wind turbine

manufacturing plant has fired or suspended several workers in

Quebec after a company investigation found they took shortcuts

on quality control, sources familiar with the matter told

Reuters.

GE Vernova ( GEV ) launched the probe at the factory in

Gaspe, Quebec after one of the 107-meter long turbine blades it

made shattered at the Vineyard Wind project off the coast of

Massachusetts in July. Shards of fiberglass littered the beaches

and forced the project to temporarily shut down.

GE Vernova ( GEV ) owns the Gaspe plant through its LM Wind Power

subsidiary.

One source familiar with the matter said certain managers at

the company had pushed workers to go faster to improve

performance which resulted in errors.

"There were corners cut," the source said.

Another source said the investigation triggered the firing

of several Gaspe employees, including supervisors.

Both sources asked not to be named discussing the matter.

Radio-Gaspesie was first to report on the findings of the GE

Vernova ( GEV ) investigation.

Jean Éric Cloutier, president of the union representing

workers at the Gaspe plant, said this week the company has taken

matters seriously, but did not provide details about the probe's

findings.

He said nine managers were laid off and 11 union members

were suspended.

"An employee committee has also been created to prevent

quality problems re-occurring. We are proactive and determined

not to let poor management dictate our fate again," Cloutier

said.

GE Vernova ( GEV ) said it had taken "corrective actions" at the

Gaspe facility but did not elaborate.

"We are confident in our ability to implement these

corrective actions and move forward," the company said.

An LM Wind Power spokesperson declined to comment.

The Vineyard Wind turbine incident was not the only time a

GE Vernova ( GEV ) blade has malfunctioned.

One of its turbines came apart in May at the massive Dogger

Bank A project off the UK coast, and another at the same site

failed during high winds and seas in August.

GE Vernova ( GEV ) has said the incidents are unrelated.

Vineyard Wind would not comment on the matter. The U.S.

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, which is

conducting a federal investigation into the Vineyard Wind

turbine failure, was not immediately available for comment.