In the wake of the National Labor Relation Board’s (NLRB) contentious decision to prevent Boeing from opening a plant in South Carolina, three Republican senators have introduced legislation to protect South Carolina’s right-to-work laws.
Republican Sens. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Jim DeMint of South Carolina introduced the Job Protection Act Thursday. If passed, the legislation would prevent the NLRB from blocking a company from moving jobs to another location, guarantee employers the ability to decide where to conduct business, and protect employers’ ability to discuss the costs associated with unionization without fear of an anti-union discrimination claim. The NLRB’s decision on Boeing stated that unionized companies cannot bring facilities into states with right-to-work laws.
“This is not just about South Carolina and it’s not just about making airplanes – this is about jobs in every state in the country, and whether or not manufacturers are going to be able to make in the United States what they sell in the United States,” Alexander said. “I can’t think of one single action the federal government would take that would make it harder to create new jobs in Tennessee than this Boeing complaint, if it’s allowed to move forward.”
DeMint explained that unionization has had a stifling effect on business and that right-to-work states are part of creating a prosperous future for America — where jobs stay in the United States.
“Right to work states have more business growth, more new jobs, and faster rising incomes than forced-unionism states,” he said. “What the NLRB has done in the Boeing case is a threat to workers and businesses in every state. The NLRB is encouraging companies to take their jobs and investment overseas. This is a reprehensible act and an obvious kickback to union bosses the President is depending on helping his reelection. Unless we pass this bill, every worker and business in this nation is under the threat that if they don’t do what union bosses want, this administration will come after you.”
Graham charged that the NLRB’s actions have been damaging to South Carolina and explained that his legislation would ensure that bodies like the NLRB are unable to take over the decision making capabilities of private companies.
“The NLRB is doing the bidding of the unions at a great cost to South Carolina and our nation’s economy. I do not believe unelected bureaucracies should be allowed to go down the road the NLRB is charting,” said Graham. “The foundation of the NLRB complaint against Boeing would destroy the American business community’s ability to negotiate and make rational business decisions. Our legislation prohibits the use of statements made during negotiations – involving legitimate business concerns – to be used as a legal basis for a violation of the National Labor Relations Act. It is time for Congress to speak out in a common-sense way against the outrageous and frivolous complaint by unelected bureaucrats at the NLRB.”