Congress to hold Boeing labor hearing in South Carolina

A congressional committee plans to hold a hearing later this month in South Carolina over a labor complaint against the Boeing Co.

The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government planned to announce Wednesday that its members will travel to North Charleston on June 17 for the hearing, t

he Associated Press reported.

Boeing’s second 787 line in North Charleston is at the heart of a complaint brought by the National Labor Relations Board. The board’s general counsel alleges Boeing picked South Carolina for its second 787 line in retaliation against its Machinists in Washington for past labor strikes.

The labor board has suggested Boeing set up a second permanent 787 line in Everett to remedy the situation. Boeing already has its first 787 assembly site in Everett along with a second temporary “surge” line. The company is set to have a ribbon cutting on Friday for its $750 million North Charleston location.

A hearing on the labor board case is set for June 14 in Seattle.

From the AP report:

Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., has requested that NLRB Acting General Counsel Lafe Solomon attend the hearing, but Solomon wrote to Issa earlier this month that he wouldn’t participate because of the ongoing litigation.

“Because my appearance at this hearing could threaten the rights of the parties to a fair trial, I must respectfully decline your invitation,” Solomon wrote Issa on June 3.
In a letter dated Tuesday, Issa asked Solomon to reconsider that decision or face a possible subpoena compelling him to attend.

“This hearing will focus on how your actions against Boeing could impact the thousands of Boeing employees at a non-union worksite in South Carolina,” Issa wrote Solomon. “You assert that you do not seek to close Boeing’s operations in South Carolina, yet the relief requested would have that exact effect.”

The Boeing-labor board case has drawn much attention already from both political parties. Some members of Congress have called on President Barack Obama to intervene. South Carolina’s governor has called on other governors to voice opposition and “be loud and vocal about it.” Here in Washington, Gov. Chris Gregoire thinks politicians should stay out of the dispute.