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NLRB Drops Union-Related Lawsuit Against Boeing — But Is It Mixed News?

Unions Drop Lawsuit Against Boeing | union | Boeing | right to work | lawsuit | crony capitalism | gangster government

The NLRB’s acting general counsel, Lafe Solomon

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has agreed to drop its lawsuit against Boeing, in which it had accused the aircraft maker of “violating federal labor law” by daring to open an aircraft production plant in South Carolina (a Right to Work state).

Some would view this as a victory. However, as is usually the case, these victories never come without a price. What did it cost Boeing?

“On Wednesday night, the union announced that 74 percent of its 31,000 Boeing workers in Washington State had voted to ratify a four-year contract extension that includes substantial raises, unusual job security provisions and a commitment by Boeing to expand aircraft production in the Puget Sound area,” reports the New York Times.

“The case was always about the loss of future jobs in the Seattle area,” said Lafe Solomon, the NLRB’s acting general counsel, in regards to dropping the lawsuit against Boeing. “This agreement has resolved that issue. There is job security in the Washington area.”

So, all they wanted was “job security” and for that they were willing to threaten a major lawsuit against the company for expanding?

“When I first read the NYT headline, I cheered. But the NLRB’s decision is actually somewhat of a mixed blessing,” writes Tina Korbe of Hotair.

“Just the threat of the case was clearly a powerful tool in the union’s negotiation of its contract renewal. Note that Boeing has agreed to expand aircraft production in the Puget Sound Area. That’s probably a sound business decision in the current climate: Better to agree to expand production in a state beset with union strife than to have to face a hostile NLRB.”

Considering how this case went down, though, you might want to be prepared to see this tactic repeated again and again. It seems to have worked this time and there is little reason to think that it won’t work again.

“If there was still any lingering doubt that the Obama administration was in the back pocket of unions, that should end today,” writes Philip Klein of the Washington Examiner.

He continues:

A lawsuit that was brought at the behest of the union is now ended at the behest of the union.

While some people will now like to forget this whole episode, it’s important to remember what happened here. As I noted last week, this has all the characteristics of a shake down. The South Carolina factory that was at the center of this case — that we were told represented an illegal retaliation against the union — still remains open. But Boeing has agreed to build another airplane model at a unionized factory in Washington state and to offer the union a raft of salary and benefit increases. The union got paid, so now the Obama administration can withdraw its lawsuit. Talk about Gangster Government.

Of course, as would be expected from a professional mega-corporation, Boeing publicly applauded the NLRB’s decision to drop that lawsuit.

“We have maintained from the outset that the complaint was without merit and that the best course of action would be for it to be dropped,” said Tim Neal, a Boeing spokesman. “Today that happened. Boeing is grateful for the overwhelming support we received from across the country to vigorously contest this complaint and support the legitimate rights of businesses to make business decisions.”

But here’s the thing: although the NLRB dropped the lawsuit, they were still able to use it to squeeze an increase in benefits and salaries out of Boeing.

“Gangster government” indeed.

But wait! There’s one more takeaway from this whole ordeal. Miss Korbe of Hotair explains:

…this could make it easier for the NLRB to follow through with its plans to institute snap elections and other disastrous policies. South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said he would block any Obama nominee to the NLRB as long as the Board pursued the case against Boeing. Now that the NLRB has dropped the case, Republican opposition to new nominees might not be as unwavering. An NLRB filled with Obama appointees would be even more biased toward unions than the Board we have now.

Indeed, as the 2012 election quickly approaches, it might benefit the GOP presidential hopefuls to consider the lessons learned from this ordeal. Perhaps if one enterprising candidate makes a strong case against the union biased NLRB, he (or she) could easily secure the GOP nomination.

Unions Drop Lawsuit Against Boeing | union | Boeing | right to work | lawsuit | crony capitalism | gangster government

Source: "Rich States, Poor States," by Stephen Moore and Arthur B. Laffer/Becket Adams

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Comments (70)

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  • Freedom from liberals
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 6:51pm

    A little math test and common sense test. Look at all the right to work states on the pie chart above. Add up all of these states debt and compare that to a % of their GDP. Now do the same for the so-called union states. Common sense tells me that the % for the right to work states would be about half what it is for the Union States.

    Report Post »  
  • toto
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 6:19pm

    I am really sorry Boeing rolled over, and got rolled over, both. We are living in very sad times. I wish it had been possible to take it all the way to the Supreme Court. The government has no business involving itself in the business decisions of companies. Rush Limbaugh talked about a New York Times article the other day where the writer was lamenting the fact that entrepreneurs and businesses were being stifled by controls and regulations of the Chinese government. How rich is that. It’s every bit as bad here under the present administration and most people seem absolutely blind to it.

    Report Post »  
    • Smug
      Posted on December 10, 2011 at 2:13pm

      Boeing should wait a month and then pull out of Washington State.

      Report Post »  
  • MONICNE
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 5:03pm

    Boeing employees have dignity and enough salary to pay for the home mortgages, college tuition and car payment that are trappings of the Middle Class without going into hock. Only 40% of Boeing employees are card carrying union members.

    Boeing employees have exceptional, comprehensive health care same as Congress or a little better.

    Boeing employees continue to lead the world in specialty manufacturing and services, including the Asian and European aerospace markets.

    Boeing sells about $1 Billion in manufactured products every 4.5 days on average from 2010 to 2011.

    TEA

    Report Post » MONICNE  
    • TXPilot
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 5:40pm

      I wonder when Boeing will do like thousands of other companies here have done, and just move their plants overseas? Anyone on here feel like going 500mph at 35,000ft in an airplane made in Bangladesh by illiterate farmers?

      TXPilot  
    • PheonixDragon
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 6:07pm

      Boeing can’t afford to go overseas. It would cost the corporation too much in prestige, (not to mention income to go overseas). For that matter, although many don’t know this; Boeing’s home office is still in Kansas; although that office is now part of Spirit Aerospace.
      Back when Boeing was started, the original charter held that Boeing would always list Kansas as it’s home state, and keep part of its business in Kansas. Well, it has, although that part is now called Spirit Aerospace.

      Report Post »  
    • teamarcheson
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 6:23pm

      The Obama Communist Regime Did Not Surrender At All, They Won.

      Boeing surrendered to the communists. Boeing should have waited for Congress to pass a law. Boeing was compelled to agree to manufacture a new plane in Washington State. Now there isn’t any purpose of relocating to North Carolina. In a few years all of Boeing’s production and manufacturing will be in China.

      Only TEA can save you now.

      Report Post »  
    • Freedom from liberals
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 6:44pm

      Txpilot you got her right on spot. If I was Boeing I would said stay the hell out of my business decisions. It’s called Freedom. Boeing was granted this freedom under the constitution and if you force me to alter our decisions I will consider Mexico as an alternative.

      Report Post »  
  • mattmo79
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 4:58pm

    Yep the next bureau to be dismantled after the EPA is the NLRB. This group does nothing but promote marxism! Period!!

    Report Post » mattmo79  
  • OklahomaBound
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 4:56pm

    The NLRB and the commie union thugs they represent had no case, a private company can pack up and move anywhere they want, whenever they want, and for whatever reason they want. The union and the NLRB claimed that Boeing was moving in retaliation to demands, and past actions, by the union thugs in WA……Maybe they were, so what’s their F-ing point?! If I owned a business and my employees unionized I wouldn’t even wait for their shakedown demands, I‘d close shop and start up elsewhere and I’d have every right to do so just as Boeing did. Way to set a bad precedent Boeing, disappointment doesn’t come close to describing what you just did in folding to another segment of this countries enemies.

    Report Post » OklahomaBound  
    • 50BMG
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 5:04pm

      Not that Boeing had a choice. As a major government defense contractor, I’m sure that the White House placed a few calls to Boeing headquarters in Chicago (hmm…).

      The fix was in long before the lawsuit was filed. As the government takes over more and more of the economy, expect more and more of this thug behavior.

      Report Post » 50BMG  
  • cassandra
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 4:51pm

    how do you like the way obama keeps calling union workers middle class, excuse me but someone who makes the money and gets the benifits unions workers get is above middle class. It is US the AVERAGE worker that is PAYING for all these jerks to make good pay and have a great retirement, example gym teacher in Farmington Hills, MI makes 118,000 a year does that sound middle class to you,

    Report Post »  
    • ohnomrbill
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 11:30pm

      boeing employees do not even come close to earning that kind of money. You have no idea of what you speak. the medium income of the employees is around 60,000 a year so before you make a statement of which you know little about you should do the research.

      Report Post »  
  • woemcat
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 4:44pm

    and this is why we get kids throwing temper tantrums when they get eliminated from the X-factor. here, there are adults (in age only) throwing temper tantrums b/c a company DARES to express it’s CONSTITUTIONAL FREEDOM to open a shop wherever the hell it wants. PATHETIC!

    Report Post » woemcat  
  • P4cooler
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 4:05pm

    We have to get these agencies under control with the next administration. They are used by the radical left to attack our country, free enterprise etc… The Obama left is despicable. We need Socialism as much as we all need cockroaches running around in our bed.

    Report Post » P4cooler  
    • Bum thrower
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 4:31pm

      Like the article which compared our government problems to cancer; need to under go ‘radical’ treatment; and by that no more Mr. Nice guy; the next adminsitration has to be one of “repeal’; not new laws, but repeal the old ones.

      Report Post »  
    • 50BMG
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 5:02pm

      The only way to get these agencies “under control” is to eliminate them. No budget cuts, no attempts to rein them in. Just point blank, right between the eyes, gone. Fire all of the employees, clear the office space, and be done with the lot of ‘em.

      Report Post » 50BMG  
  • mad_hatter_
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 3:58pm

    I still remember when Boeing ask Romney to speak at the NC factory. This is where he, and the only candidate with a plan, delivered his union (anti-union) policy speech. He really shoved it at Obama and his NLRB board. We need a candidate that gets a response from Obama. ( http://www.thedailycandidate.com/video/2011/sep/romney_union.html )

    Romney also got a response from Obama when Barack cancelled his 17 day Hawaii vacation. He also got a response from Obama when at the Jewish Coalition Conference and call Obama’s foreign Policy to be of appeasement. That is why Obama had to play the bin Laden card yesterday.

    ROMNEY BRINGS RESULTS.

    Report Post »  
  • I.Gaspar
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 3:56pm

    It’s time to start dialing 1-800-JohnGalt.

    Report Post »  
  • David, the Constitutional Libertarian
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 3:55pm

    Forcing someone to join a union just to be able to work, hmmmm, what is that a form of?
    Processing
    Processing
    Processing

    Oh yeah, communism.

    Report Post » David, the Constitutional Libertarian  
    • ohnomrbill
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 11:32pm

      You do not have to join the union to work at the Boeing factory that is a lie.

      Report Post »  
    • kaydeebeau
      Posted on December 10, 2011 at 9:13am

      uh…being a non-right to work state i.e. Washington – one does have to join the union to have the job – the layman’s definition of a right to work law is I have the right to work without having to join a union

      Report Post » kaydeebeau  
  • AJAYW
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 3:49pm

    Union members are slaves of the unions. Why should anyone pay someone for the right to work.

    Report Post »  
  • Lara
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 3:39pm

    Well where does that leave South Carolina workers that would have been employed!!!?

    Report Post » Lara  
    • AvengerK
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 3:48pm

      What does Obama care? He can just say that NLRB is no longer suing Boeing on behalf of his beloved unions.
      I defy any lefty on these boards to answer me this….what Obama policy has worked as advertised or even worked at all?

      Report Post »  
    • Jim in Houston
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 5:04pm

      avengerk/: One O’Blamer policy that has worked very well is the downward spiral of our economy and its hell bent for leather race for socialism.

      Report Post »  
  • smackdown33
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 3:31pm

    Lafe Solomon ain‘t Irish and ain’t Arab, and he is not the exception to the rule of who is working tirelessly to destroy our culture.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_left

    http://www.jewishjustice.org/who-we-are

    Report Post »  
  • PATRIOTGRUNT
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 3:29pm

    UNION WHORES. NLRB is a board that is set up by POTUS. I believe the POTUS has to nominate boath Rep and Dem to the board. However he has the right to nominate his political party to majority by one.As to dirt bag Grham the Rino I don’t understand why SC linians keep voting this moron in. It’s a very conservative state. I think that Boeing agreed to this knowing that this is it for the Muslim in the WH and they will tell the Union Whores to go fk themselves once the Muslim pig is voted out.

    Report Post » PATRIOTGRUNT  
  • drphil69
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 3:16pm

    Nice. So now Boeing is paying their union thug workers in Wash. state substantially more, which will make them less competitive in the world market.

    Boeing should just close shop in the US and open in China. It‘s obvious Obummer doesn’t want any jobs created here.

    Report Post »  
    • progressiveslayer
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 3:37pm

      Redistribution of wealth from the U.S to third world countries,that‘s one of our Marxist’s presidents goals,another is the end of capitalism because he is after all a Marxist.Read the ten planks of the communist manifesto,you’ll be surprised how close we are to all ten.

      Report Post » progressiveslayer  
  • cemerius
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 3:11pm

    I wish I could boycott Boeing in some way!! Unions got what they wanted and an increase in “goodies” too!!! Kudos go out to the socialists in power…how’s that hope and change going for you comrades? Don’t worry your kids will survive while ours starve………..!

    Report Post » cemerius  
    • ohnomrbill
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 11:42pm

      you have no idea of what you speak the Boeing employees where offered a new contract before are old contract was even up. We gave boeing the assurance and agreed to pay more for health care and take less in pay increases over the next 5 years. So you can spew your hate and talk your talking points but you don’t have a clue what is going on at the Boeing Company. We are very fortunate to have the good paying jobs that we have and all of us are grateful to the Boeing Company so why this has to be a political issue when its a jobs issue is sad sad sad…………

      Report Post »  
  • bo0990
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 3:10pm

    Thugocracy. No longer should we have a President out of Chicago!

    Commander of Extortion = President

    Obama also gave a thumbs DOWN to destroying or getting our drone back!

    He’s afraid of Iran!!!!

    Report Post » bo0990  
    • Freedom from liberals
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 7:25pm

      You guys said it right. It’s all about political incorrectness. It‘s a new movement that’s drastically needed.

      Report Post »  
  • jarhead69
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 3:07pm

    another form of blackmail, and I mean BLACKmail

    Report Post »  
  • Depressed_American
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 2:53pm

    What right does the NLRB have to dictate to a PRIVATE company how they manage their business!!! It is BOEING’S right to establish a production facility ANYWHERE THEY PLEASE, WITHOUT THE GOVERNMENT’s permission!!! This is the United State of America, not the Soviet Union!!!

    Report Post » Depressed_American  
    • Depressed_American
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 3:04pm

      So Congress is allowed to conduct “Legalized” Insider Trading; and NOW the NLRB is allowed to “legally” Blackmail a PRIVATE company!!! This government is totally screwed up!!!

      Report Post » Depressed_American  
    • Freedom from liberals
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 3:05pm

      You are spot on! We are losing our freedom in this country and we need to stand up and fight. I‘m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.

      Report Post »  
    • Simonne
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 3:14pm

      Amen to that but with Obama he does what he has to do to keep the unions happy at everybody’s expense.

      Report Post »  
    • progressiveslayer
      Posted on December 9, 2011 at 3:30pm

      It’s government control ie central planning and it always fails,the current regime in power is beholden to unions and that’s why we see this overreach of government into a private business.It‘s none of the governments business where Boeing puts it’s plants but progressives have perverted the constitution since Wilson to FDR to our current Marxist POS president to allow them to get away with these thug tactics.

      Report Post » progressiveslayer  
  • weneedrubio
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 2:50pm

    The NLRB just committed the mother of all “Torturous Enterference” violations. That is illegal too.

    Report Post »  
  • SANE_I think
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 2:49pm

    They caved, they should have gave NOTHING. The company was in the right. What will they have to give next time? chip-chip-chipping away.

    Report Post »  
  • NOBALONEY
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 2:47pm

    NLRB suit against SC Boeing plant was all about Job Security for the Washington plant. WH, Unions, and NLRB. The Obama administrations triple threat non-union emplotment.

    Report Post » NOBALONEY  
  • ares338
    Posted on December 9, 2011 at 2:47pm

    The government is complicit in union extortion. This is a nauseating situation. Heave…hurl…blurp.

    Report Post » ares338  
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