UPDATE: Wednesday, June 29, 2011

President Barack Obama said it would defy common sense for Boeing Co. to have to shut down a new aircraft plant or lay off workers as a result of a labor dispute with the government.

The President said companies need to have the freedom to relocate work, though they must follow the law when doing so.

The president was responding to a question about a lawsuit filed by the National Labor Relations Board against Boeing, accusing the aerospace company of illegally retaliating against its unionized work force in Washington state by opening a new production line for its 787 airplane in South Carolina, a right-to-work state.

The President said the case was brought by an independent agency and a judge would decide the facts.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The government's labor dispute with Boeing Co. is turning into a political headache for President Barack Obama.

Outraged Republicans are keeping up a steady drumbeat of criticism over the National Labor Relations Board's lawsuit against the aerospace giant. And GOP presidential hopefuls are using the issue to attack the President's economic policies.

The NLRB said Boeing retaliated against its unionized workforce in Washington state by opening a new production line for its 787 airplane in South Carolina. The agency wants a judge to order Boeing to return the work to Washington. Boeing said it did nothing wrong.
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The lawsuit is a major story in South Carolina, a crucial early primary state in the GOP presidential race. Republican presidential hopefuls are playing up the issue at debates and campaign stops.