Marathon Pundit: Washington Post slams Obama's radical NLRB on Boeing case

Monday, June 20, 2011

Washington Post slams Obama's radical NLRB on Boeing case

Boeing HQ, Chicago

The liberal Washington Post is siding with the common sense faction in regards to the NLRB-Boeing case.

From an op-ed:

The opening of a manufacturing plant with nearly 1,000 jobs should be cause for celebration. But Boeing Co.'s $1 billion facility in South Carolina has met a different, less welcome response.

The National Labor Relations Board, spurred by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, hit Boeing with a complaint of unfair labor practices. The board charges that Boeing illegally shipped jobs to South Carolinafrom the company's Washington state facility in retaliation for past strikes by unionized workers in Puget Sound. Both facilities will have a hand in building the company's new and mammoth 787 Dreamliner.

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The allegation that the company "transferred" jobs out of state is unconvincing because the jobs in South Carolina are new. The company has not cut jobs in Washington, nor has it demoted or slashed the wages of union workers. Boeing has added about 3,000 — albeit temporary — jobs in Washington since it announced its South Carolina plans and says it is likely to add more to keep up with demand for its commercial airliners.

Employers who engage in unfair labor practices should be penalized. But the NLRB's move goes too far and would undermine a company's ability to consider all legitimate factors — including potential work disruptions — when making plans. It also substitutes the government's judgment for that of the company. This is neither good law nor good business.