House oversight committee chairman Rep. Darrell Issa demanded Tuesday that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) provide his committee with all internal communications about the ongoing case against The Boeing Company.
NLRB general counsel Lafe Solomon has provided Issa’s team with some, but all of the documents he requested. In the Tuesday letter to Solomon, Issa threatened to use “compulsory” measures, which may include subpoenaing documents.
Issa, California Republican, said that he “appreciates” documents Solomon provided the oversight committee on May 27 and June 29, but that those weren’t enough.
Issa’s letter to Solomon indicates the Committee believes there to be more communication that may show some kind of malfeasance on the part of the NLRB, Solomon or the Obama administration in Boeing case.
The NLRB is suing Boeing as a result of claims from the International Association of Machinists (IAM) that Boeing violated labor law by opening a new plant in South Carolina.
Boeing contends opening the new plant in South Carolina instead of Washington state was not retaliation against the IAM. In fact, Boeing has added new jobs in Washington state and no workers there have lost work. (Grassley, Issa slam Holder again: Are you skewing witnesses?)
Though Issa didn’t specify exactly what Solomon has or hasn’t provided, Tuesday letter reiterates what he asked for before: all documents and communications from Solomon’s office about the case with NLRB members, any members of Congress, anyone in the White House or Obama administration, the International Association of Machinists (IAM) union and Boeing.
Issa said Solomon “broadly claims, without support” that documents and communications he hasn’t provided are protected because they’re “confidential and privileged information, internal deliberative materials, attorney work product and settlement communications.”
Issa said that, if Solomon does not comply with his request by 5 p.m. on July 26, he’ll be forced to “consider the use of compulsory process,” which includes subpoena power.
