Boeing officially denies federal board’s allegations over S.C.’s 787 line

Published 5:32 pm Thursday, May 5, 2011

In a legal filing, the Boeing Co. denied “each and every allegation” made by the National Labor Relations Board in its complaint over the company’s decision to establish a second 787 assembly line in South Carolina.

Boeing filed its legal response to the labor board’s April 20 complaint on Th

ursday, a few days after Boeing’s general counsel sent a letter to the labor board suggesting it drop the complaint. The labor board alleges that Boeing illegally retaliated against its Machinists union in Washington for labor strikes when the company picked North Charleston, S.C.

In the complaint, the labor board’s general counsel, Lafe Solomon, suggested Boeing establish a second 787 line in Washington to make up for its alleged wrongdoing. Solomon did not say what Boeing should do with the new facility Boeing is opening for the second line in South Carolina.

In its response Thursday, Boeing outlines its reasons for picking the North Charleston site including “significant financial incentives” from South Carolina, a favorable business climate there and a desire to “protect the stability of the 787’s global production system.”

“Boeing would have made the same decisions … even if it had not taken into consideration the damaging impact of future strikes on the production of 787s,” the company said in its response.

On Wednesday, Boeing’s Machinists union said the company is trying to use its political clout to thwart the labor board’s complaint. Nineteen U.S. senators sent a letter to President Barack Obama on Wednesday asking him to withdraw his nomination of the labor board’s Solomon and Craig Becker, who sits on the labor board. The Senate has not confirmed Solomon’s nomination and blocked Obama’s initial nomination of Becker. However, Obama appointed Becker during a recess of the Senate.

“In my 28 years of practicing labor law, I have never seen an employer use these types of overtly political tactics to avoid a legal proceeding,” said David Campbell, local Machinists’ lawyer, in a press statement.

In its response, Boeing suggested that a six-month statue of limitations should bar the claims made by Solomon in his complaint. The company also notes that Solomon’s proposed remedy of opening another 787 line in Washington “would cause an undue hardship on Boeing, its employees, and the state of South Carolina.”