South Carolina Governor Confronts Unions
Congratulation go to South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley who made comments about South Carolina being a right-to-work state, and in the process essentially told unions to go to hell. She was a bit more polite than that, but not by much.
Please consider Union sues over Haley’s remarks about Boeing plant
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is facing her first big lawsuit after saying the state would try to keep unions out of the Boeing Inc. plant in North Charleston.
The lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Charleston by the International Association of Machinists and AFL-CIO asked for a court order telling Haley and her director of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation to butt out and remain neutral in matters concerning union activities.
“There’s no secret I don’t like the unions,” Haley said when asked about the litigation. “We are a right-to-work state. I will do everything I can to defend the fact we are a right-to-work state. We are pro-business by nature. I want us to continue to be pro-business. If they don’t like what I said, I’m sorry, that’s how I feel.”
The lawsuit came after remarks Haley made last month as she nominated Catherine Templeton to run the state’s labor agency. She said Templeton’s union-fighting background would be helpful in state fights against the labor groups, particularly at Boeing.
“She is ready for the challenge,” Haley said at the time. “We’re going to fight the unions and I needed a partner to help me do it. She’s the right person to help me do it.”
For her part, Templeton said: “In my experience I have found there is not one company that operates more efficiently when you put another layer of bureaucracy in. … We will do everything we can to work with Boeing and make sure that their work force is taken care of, that they run efficiently and that we don’t add anything unnecessarily.”
Machinists union spokesman Frank Larkin told The Associated Press the lawsuit is an attempt to make sure workers’ constitutionally protected rights aren’t harmed by South Carolina’s governor. Larkin hadn’t seen another governor be so plainspoken.
“This is practically unprecedented for a state to be so clear and so overt,” Larkin said.
Meanwhile, the National Labor Relations Board has threatened a federal lawsuit against South Carolina, Arizona, South Dakota and Utah over constitutional amendments guaranteeing secret-ballot union elections. Unions want to also be able to organize workers through signature drives.
Illinois vs. South Carolina
South Carolina Governor Haley’s spokesman Rob Godfrey: “If the machinists are offended that the Governor doesn’t think unions are a good thing in South Carolina, they’re just going to have to get used to it.”
Illinois Governor Quinn Spokeswoman Marcelyn Love: “The temporary increase in the corporate income tax will help stabilize the budget, making Illinois more attractive to businesses.”
If you were a business owner which would you choose?
To make it simple, please consider Illinois’ First Tax Hike Victim: Jimmy John’s Founder to Move to Florida, Corporate Headquarters May Follow
National Labor Relations Board Supports Coercion
I salute South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. I also hope the National Labor Relations Board gets a much deserved kick in the ass. The only reason to not have secret ballots is so pro-union supporters can coerce and intimidate those who do not want to vote for union membership.
The only instance that I am not in favor of secret ballots regards to votes of lawmakers and other elected officials. The public has a right to know how their representatives vote on every bill.
What other reason than coercion can there possibly be for forcing votes to be in the open?
Of course coercion is nothing new by unions. They threaten, bully and bribe their way into power and want more every step of the way.
For more, please see Point of No Return; Fiscal Shell Games; Texas to Cut 8,000 Jobs; Deep Layoffs in NJ; Mayor Recall Vote in Miami; Oregon Workers’ Comp Bankruptcy
National Right-To-Work Laws
National right to work laws will end the grips unions have on states like Illinois, California, and New York, bankrupting them and hundreds of cities in the process.
About the author: Mike “Mish” Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for Sitka Pacific Capital Management. His top-rated global economics blog Mish’s Global Economic Trend Analysis offers insightful commentary every day of the week. He is also a contributing “professor” on Minyanville, a community site focused on economic and financial education. Every Thursday he does a podcast on HoweStreet and on an ad hoc basis he contributes to many other websites, including UnionWatch.