A deal between Boeing and its Machinists union Wednesday could quiet GOP attacks against the Obama administration and National Labor Relations Board about the fate of a South Carolina 787 Dreamliner plant.
If the tentative deal is ratified allowing the Boeing?s new 737 MAX aircraft to be built in Renton, Wash., the union said it will withdraw its grievances against the aerospace manufacturer over the South Carolina plant, potentially putting an end to a seven-month, highly charged labor debate.
Continue ReadingThe NLRB filed a lawsuit against Boeing in April alleging that its plant?s location in North Charleston, S.C., (a right-to-work state) was in retaliation for union involvement with its Washington state plant.
The South Carolina plant quickly became a prime target for the GOP and was visited by a number of the Republican presidential hopefuls.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry has said the NLRB is trying to dictate where jobs are created and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said in October that the board is essentially saying ?you can?t build a factory in a non-union state.? South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) has called for the disbanding of the NLRB because of the lawsuit.
Wednesday, Boeing and its Machinists union reached a tentative agreement on a four-year labor extension, ensuring that the new 737 MAX aircraft is built in an existing Boeing facility in Washington state. The deal would also preserve pensions for new workers, includes 2 percent yearly wage increases and raises some health care premiums.
?If our employees ratify a new agreement, building the 737 MAX in Renton will secure a long and prosperous future there, as well as at other sites in the Puget Sound area and in Portland, Ore., where 737 parts are built,? said Jim Albaugh, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president, in a statement.
South Carolina Republicans are still skeptical, however.
Sen. Lindsey Graham said a deal that would result in NLRB dropping the grievance ?would certainly be welcome,? but he was wary of the NLRB?s role in the Washington negotiations.
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