The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) sent a strong message when it issued a complaint, based on charges filed by the IAM, to force Boeing to bring an airplane production line back to its unionized facilities in Washington State instead of moving the work to a nonunion plant in South Carolina. The message is clear, workers have the right to form a union and utilize their rights to collectively bargain.
Boeing originally announced that it planned to assemble seven 787 Dreamliner airplanes per month in the Puget Sound area of Washington state, where its employees are represented by the IAM. The company later said that it would create a second production line to assemble three more planes a month due to a backlog of orders. Boeing then announced that it would locate that second line at the non-union facility in South Carolina, citing work stoppages and other non-business reasons for the new site.
“Boeing’s decision to build a 787 assembly line in South Carolina sent a message that Boeing workers would suffer financial harm for exercising their collective bargaining rights,” said IAM Vice President, Rich Michalski.
“Here is another example of how your vote counts, “said TCU President Bob Scardelletti. “The Obama Administration is standing up for the rights of hard working union workers. The right to unionize and collectively bargain is under attack all over the country right now, it is good to see officials, appointed by President Obama, doing the right thing for American workers.”
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