Boeing illegally put second 787 line in S.C., complaint says

Seattle PI ^ | April 20, 2011 | Aubrey Cohen

[jazusamo]

Boeing illegally put its second 787 Dreamliner assembly line in South Carolina in retaliation for strikes in Washington and should be required to build the line in Washington, according to a National Labor Relations Board complaint filed Wednesday.

The board's acting general counsel filed the complaint in response to a charge that the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union District 751, backed by the national union, filed on March 29, 2010. A board administrative law judge is scheduled to hear the case on June 14.

The complaint says Boeing executives "made coercive statements to its employees that it would remove or had removed work from the (union) because employees had struck" and threatened that future strikes would cost it more work.

"By opening the line in Charleston (S.C.), Boeing tried to intimidate our members with the idea that the company would take away their work unless they made concessions at the bargaining table," IAM District 751 President Tom Wroblewski said in a statement Wednesday. "But the law is clear: American workers have a right to pursue collective bargaining, and no company – not even Boeing – can threaten or punish them for exercising those rights."

Boeing issued a statement Wednesday saying it will "vigorously contest" the complaint.

"This claim is legally frivolous and represents a radical departure from both NLRB and Supreme Court precedent," Boeing Executive Vice President and General Counsel J. Michael Luttig said. "Boeing has every right under both federal law and its collective bargaining agreement to build additional U.S. production capacity outside of the Puget Sound region."

Boeing also criticized the timing of the complaint, noting it came 17 months after it announced it would put the line in South Caroline and as construction is nearly complete, with more than 1,000 new workers hired and assembly of the first airplane set to begin in July.

[jazusamo]

Maybe WA wants to be more like Detroit.

If the unions at Boeing in WA keep this up they're going to find themselves out of a job at Boeing.

There was speculation when they set up a second line in SC they may have future plans to move the WA operation to the South. Stuff like this by the union may just prove that speculation true.

[matt1234]

From wiki:

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is an independent agency of the United States government charged with conducting elections for labor union representation and with investigating and remedying unfair labor practices.[emphasis added]

--SNIP--

In April 2009, President Obama nominated Craig Becker (Associate General Counsel of the Service Employees International Union) [SEIU]

--SNIP--

Becker's nomination appeared to fail on February 8, 2010, after Republican Senators (led by John McCain) threatened to filibuster his nomination.[6][11] President Obama said he would consider making recess appointments to the NLRB due to the Senate's failure to move on any of the three nominations.[11] True to his word, Obama on March 27, 2010 recess appointed both Becker and Pearce to the NLRB.[12]

[Not A Snowbird]

As far as I’m concerned, Boeing may build their planes wherever they find a favorable business climate and the resources to complete the task.

Union thugs here in Washington can’t stand a little competition, can they?

[Noamie]

Wow. Who is John Galt, I guess.... Wow. Surreal.

[proudpapa]

...and they can forget about building them with Rearden Steel.

[jazusamo]

Thanks for posting that. Yes, both Becker and Pearce were union slug attorneys and Obama pulled his same old crud to get them on the board.

[blueplum]

let’s tell the workers in South Carolina they have to give half their salaries to their counterparts in Washington state as ‘compensation’ - workers of the world unite, right? and let’s see what happens then.

[namsman]

The IAM shouldn’t be too worried. After 4 or 5 years of Boeing management the workers in SC will be begging to join the union.

[FourPeas]

How DARE Boeing think they can decide where to put their production lines!

[jazusamo]

I hear you. It’s just a shame that these union slugs don’t realize or care that Boeing may just pull up stakes and leave.

[mo]

Heck...at LEAST they kept the line in the USA.....fools...

[ncfool]

oh bummer to the rescue

[jazusamo]

SC is a right to work state and I doubt Boeing will build any new facilities in any states that aren’t.

[aruanan]

"But the law is clear: American workers have a right to pursue collective bargaining, and no company – not even Boeing – can threaten or punish them for exercising those rights."

Only because they got a waiver from the law that everyone else had to follow. Sure, let them bargain collectively. Moving a company out of a state, though, isn't a failure, but merely a consequence, of collective bargaining. And if they get too coercive in the other state, well, then, move out of the country and tell them, as a union you may have a "right" to collective bargaining, but we aren't compelled to keep a plant open just for you. You've made it too expensive so you've effed yourself out of a job.

[TheOldLady]

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[microgood]

"By opening the line in Charleston (S.C.), Boeing tried to intimidate our members with the idea that the company would take away their work unless they made concessions at the bargaining table," IAM District 751 President Tom Wroblewski said in a statement Wednesday. "But the law is clear: American workers have a right to pursue collective bargaining, and no company – not even Boeing – can threaten or punish them for exercising those rights."

They built the plant in SC so that they could still deliver planes when the Machinist Union goes on strike, which they always do, and always over the dumbest stuff.

[Logical me]

Since when does the right to collective bargaining turn into denying Boeing’s right to locate a plant at the most favorable location for profitable work?

Since the communists have taken over America.

[sionnsar]

Thanks to jazusamo for the ping.

Say WA? Evergreen State ping

Quick link: WA State Board

FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this ping list.
Ping sionnsar if you see a Washington state related thread.

[vette6387]

Washington state is a liberal crap hole! Hope Boeing pulls out completely.

[edge10]

I didn’t know it was ‘Illegal’ to put a factory in one of the United States.

Might be in violation of contract but not illegal.