Marathon Pundit: NLRB overreach, hostage edition

Boeing HQ, Chicago

While the debt-ceiling crisis continues to fester, the NLRB and NMB overreach continues.

From the Workforce Fairness Institute:

As WFI members are well aware, the NLRB vs. Boeing debacle is entering its fourth month. President Obama's labor board – flush with labor radicals like Craig Becker – has lashed out against the Boeing Company for its new plant in South Carolina, endangering much-needed jobs in that state. In the weeks and months that have followed the NLRB’s initial complaint, the only positive outcome has been that the over-regulation of business by the Obama Administration is getting the negative attention it deserves, particularly from Congress.

Recently, Representatives Trey Gowdy and Tim Scott introduced legislation that would amend the National Labor Relations Act to prevent the type of "extreme, punitive remedy" the board is currently pursuing in the Boeing case. We have gone on record supporting this legislation and hope if nothing else, that the increased attention sheds light on just how far Obama's labor board has overstepped.

Predictably, the legislation has caused a reaction from Big Labor bosses and their allies seeking to ensure that they can continue to wield power and influence over the White House and their ability to punish business owners remains intact.

The Machinists' union in Charleston, where the new Boeing plant is located, has already taken matters into its own hands, according to a story in today's Daily Caller. Despite the fact that workers at the new plant in the right-to-work state of South Carolina already rejected unionization efforts, the local Machinists are now stating they can make the NLRB complaint go away if the workers join the union and kick dues its way.

"[Anthony] Riedel [National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation] said workers have been told — or they have been led to believe — that if they unionize, IAM leadership will get the NLRB to drop the controversial complaint against Boeing.

"Should the NLRB drop that case, Boeing jobs at the new South Carolina plant would no longer be in jeopardy.

"'They [unions] want to stay relevant, they want forced dues already, and what better way to do that than to promise job security?' Riedel told TheDC. 'They're saying, "Hey, we know the guys out in Seattle. They're our brothers." They'd broker a deal with them and save their jobs if they let them back in and let them have some of their paycheck'"

Big Labor is holding these workers hostage in exchange for union dues!

Meanwhile, the President himself has been riding a carousel on the NLRB, depending on the day of the week. First claiming they are an "independent" agency over which he has no control, then saying he will not comment on the Boeing story, and now releasing a statement indicating he will veto Rep. Scott and Rep. Gowdy's legislation, should it pass.

Today's Wall Street Journal noted the White House has "thrown its lot squarely with the unions, and full marks to Mr. Scott for forcing Mr. Obama finally to declare himself." We agree.

The Wall Street Journal (paid subscription required):

Americans may be wondering what this week's partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration is all about, given that it doesn't have anything to do with the debt ceiling. We wondered too, but mystery solved: Democrats have furloughed nearly 4,000 FAA employees and 70,000 workers at airport construction projects to preserve a White House indulgence for Big Labor.

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The real goal of Senate Democrats is to prevent any kind of policy questions from entering any temporary FAA reauthorization. If Mr. Mica includes rural flights in this round and they yield, will union elections be next? This way, they can stall the negotiations forever, preserve the stacked union deck indefinitely and, maybe even better, blame the GOP for shutting down a government agency.

Someone wheeled out Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to the White House press room yesterday to strafe Congress—read: Republicans—for refusing to "compromise" and thus holding "hostage common, ordinary citizens who want to work." But his key, repeated demand was for "a clean bill," which is really a demand to keep the union organizing advantage on the books.

Mr. LaHood also invoked the plight of the 4,000 FAA employees and 70,000 construction workers. But someone should ask him why he and the White House are willing to let those workers hang while they do another favor for organized labor.

The Detroit News:

Congressional squabbling is blocking reauthorization of funding for the Federal Aviation Administration. As a result, $2.5 billion in airport improvement projects have been halted and about 4,000 FAA workers have been furloughed. The issues ought to be resolved quickly.

Air traffic controllers and airplane safety workers remain on the job. But the agency is operating under a cloud of uncertainty. Its funding authorization ended last Friday.

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In our view, the Senate is defending two difficult-to-justify positions: pork for rural airports and pro-union changes in longstanding labor law provisions. The Senate majority's stance is similar to its position that it will ratify free trade treaties with South Korea and Colombia, but only if extraordinarily high job training assistance payments for members of organized labor are maintained.

Unreasonable spending has to be trimmed and special favors for organized labor will simply be rolled back when the next Republican president occupies the White House.

Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina:

President Barack Obama has until recently remained silent on the National Labor Relations Board's complaint against the Boeing Company that would kill South Carolina jobs.

But now, as Congressman Tim Scott introduces legislation to rein in the NLRB and protect South Carolina employers and workers, President Obama is speaking out. "The White House opposed a bill sponsored by South Carolina Rep. Tim Scott that would reduce the power of the NLRB and prohibit it 'from ordering any employer to relocate, shut down, or transfer employment under any circumstance.'" (Wall Street Journal, The White House vs. Boeing, 7/28/2011)

Governor Nikki Haley released the following statement in response to President Obama:

For months, the people of our state have waited on answers from the president, and they haven't gotten any. Now, what we're seeing from this administration – as it allows union bullies to put themselves in between our companies and employees – is a president who is more concerned about protecting his own political allies than growing our economy. I urge members of Congress to take the pro-jobs position, and pass Congressman Scott's bill.