NLRB Drops Suit Against Boeing

Ending the drawn-out debate, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) said today it had dropped the controversial complaint it lodged against Boeing over the North Charleston manufacturing plant, according to the Associated Press.

"This is the outcome that we always preferred," said Lafe Solomon, acting general counsel of the NLRB, which officiates labor disputes between workers and employers. "I think it's the best resolution possible." Read the full story.

The news brought a round of statements from political leaders and national candidates. The labor dispute had generated strong criticism from Republican candidates. Here's what they are saying:

President Obama, caught by reporters while walking:
"I'm glad people are gonna be working," according to The Hill.

"Obama is glad they have reached a resolution, but the president was not involved," said Jay Carney, White House spokesman.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina:
“For the sake of the Boeing South Carolina workers, I’m pleased to hear the frivolous complaint that has put a cloud over their operations has been lifted.  However, it’s hard to celebrate an event which never should have happened.

"I have real concerns the NLRB complaint was used as a negotiating tool against Boeing.  It would be completely unacceptable for the NLRB, which is supposed to be an independent arbiter, to be used and help in the union’s bidding."

Rep. Tim Scott, R-Charleston
“This is certainly great news for the Lowcountry after months of unneeded stress being placed on the backs of 1,100 hardworking South Carolinians. The NLRB’s insistence on putting Lowcountry jobs in jeopardy was a ridiculous stance to take from the beginning, and I am pleased they have finally dropped the matter.

"However, the NLRB has established a dangerous precedent with their actions thus far – that they are willing and ready to kill American jobs to support a political agenda."

Mitt Romney, Republican presidential candidate:
“The National Labor Relations Board’s decision to drop its suit against Boeing is a welcome step. But the fact that the Board acted at the request of the union bosses tells us all we need to know about who is calling the shots. While it is good news for the people of South Carolina, it does little for workers and businesses around the country who depend on a fair and impartial U.S. government. Thanks to President Obama’s appointees, the NLRB has become a rogue agency that tramples on the rights of American workers and businesses, injecting job-killing uncertainty into the economic climate.”

Gov. Rick Perry, Texas Republican candidate:
"The Obama Administration's dangerous and inappropriate action against Boeing and the right to work state of South Carolina remains a frightening reminder of Washington excess even with the NLRB dropping the case. Unaccountable federal political appointees should never have the authority to tell a private company where it may or must build factories. 

The NLRB action was a political payoff for the Obama Administration's liberal big labor organizers, and remains a strong example of why President Obama must be defeated and Washington must be seriously overhauled."

Jon Huntsman, Republican presidential candidate:
“The NLRB decision is a victory in a battle that should have never been fought. Their action against Boeing in South Carolina was an unprecedented attempt to interfere in the free market, and an attempt to politicize companies’ decisions as how and where they create jobs. We never should have reached this point; President Obama should have ordered the NLRB to stand down months ago. But instead, his lack of leadership allowed a rogue agency to threaten thousands of South Carolina jobs. I give great credit to South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson for fighting against the NLRB’s meritless action.”