Politicos fight back against national agency

Several pro-business groups on the Gulf Coast and in Florida recently scored a solid, though so-far symbolic, victory against the National Labor Relations Board.

The issue: The NLRB's decision to block Boeing Co. from shifting jobs on its 787 Dreamliner production line from a union-dominated facility in Washington state to a nonunion plant in South Carolina. The agency says Boeing's potential move is retaliation against unions, an allegation the company denies and is fighting in court.

“The NLRB's complaint against Boeing is causing uncertainty for businesses throughout Florida,” says the Associated Industries of Florida, a pro-business lobbying organization. Other local groups have issued similar statements.

Congress has now entered the fray, with a bill it passed Sept. 15 entitled the Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act. Supporters say the bill will stop the NLRB from blocking companies that want to move in and out of states.

Moreover, some worry Florida could be the next South Carolina. “In this difficult economic time, our state's communities cannot afford to lose a single job,” AIF President and CEO Barney Bishop says in a statement, “which is why this overreach from the NLRB is very concerning.”

The Gulf Coast and Florida Congressional delegation voted completely on party lines for the bill, which passed the House by a 238-186 vote. Up next: The U.S. Senate, where a Democratic majority can kill the bill.