Phil Kerpen of Americans for Prosperity shares with National Review Online readers good reasons why Congress should limit the National Labor Relations Board’s power to punish Boeing for planning to build a plant in South Carolina rather than Washington state.
With the odds stacked against Boeing and other employers, it’s up to Congress to step in. Fortunately, Congress is expected to vote as soon as this week on H.R. 2587, the Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Tim Scott (R., S.C.), would prevent the NLRB from ordering any employer to close, relocate, or transfer employment, protecting businesses from overreach by the agency.
Yes, it has actually come to this in America. We need legislation to confirm that employers can decide where to conduct business.
This bill is not just about Boeing and South Carolina. All states have a stake in preventing this precedent from being set. Right-to-work states lose if companies already operating in forced-unionism states cannot locate facilities there without being accused of an unfair labor practice. At the same time, forced-unionism states stand to lose significant investment, because companies will perceive that if they open a U.S. facility in a forced-unionism state, they will never be able to expand to right-to-work states without risk of NLRB action. It’s much easier to just locate production abroad.
It’s clear where the American people stand. A poll by the Tarrance Group released yesterday found that after being given a lengthy description of the case, 78 percent of voters side with Boeing.
We’ll find out soon where every member of the House stands — with economic freedom, job creation, and common sense, or with union bosses and unlimited bureaucratic power.
