House Oversight Committee Chairman Issa, Reps. Gowdy and Ross Request NLRB Documents on Boeing Action and Lawsuits Targeting Worker Protection Amendments

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Recent National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) action against the Boeing Company and efforts to invalidate constitutional amendments in two states are likely to impact America’s economic recovery and should be carefully reviewed given the current climate. Those were the words of House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA), and committee members Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL) and Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), in a May 12 letter to NLRB Acting General Counsel Lafe E. Solomon.

In April Mr. Solomon issued a Complaint and Notice of Hearing against Boeing alleging that it “violated federal labor law by deciding to transfer a second production line to a non-union facility in South Carolina for discriminatory reasons.” In addition, he has directed the regulatory agency to file lawsuits against the states of Arizona and South Dakota to invalidate constitutional amendments protecting workers’ rights to secret ballot elections passed in these states.

“In the current climate, every regulatory action is a potential parking brake on job creation and economic growth,” Chairman Issa said. “I am concerned this is yet another example of a regulatory body attempting to accomplish by regulatory fiat goals that failed to pass as legislation,” Issa added.

“The free flow of human and financial capital is vital to a dynamic market economy. The decision by the NLRB is not only contrary to American economic freedom, but it is monumental government overreach. The federal government has no business telling anyone where they can live, work, or start a business,” said Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service & Labor Policy Chairman Ross.

Rep. Gowdy added, “This is an unprecedented attempt by the NLRB to intimidate South Carolina and those who seek to do business there. Let the administration be forewarned – we will not fold in the face of threats. This effort, which threatens America’s innovators and job creators across the country, will be met with every legal resistance available.”

In the letter, Chairman Issa, Reps. Ross and Gowdy requested from the Office of the General Council four categories of information: 1) materials referring or relating to investigation of Boeing including communications between the office and the NLRB; 2) documents, emails, call logs and communications between the office, NLRB and the International Association of Machinists, the union representing certain Boeing workers; 3) documents, emails, call logs and communications between the office, NLRB and Boeing; and, 4) documents referring or relating to the office’s investigations of union election laws in Arizona, South Carolina, South Dakota and Utah. Documents are to be delivered by a deadline of May 27, the letter stated.

A copy of the letter is available online: http://1.usa.gov/kwV7Ll

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