Updated 7/21
Rep. Tim Scott (R-SC) has introduced legislation that would prohibit the National Labor Relations Board from dictating where a private business can and cannot locate jobs in the United States. The legislation comes in response to the NLRB filing a complaint against Boeing for attempting to transfer one of its plants from Washington to South Carolina, a right to work state.
The legislation was co-sponsored by Reps. John Kline (R-MN), Phil Roe (R-TN), Joe Wilson (R-SC), and Trey Gowdy (R-SC).
“If the NLRB is allowed to continue down this path, not only will the economy in my home state of South Carolina be affected, but the entire national economy as well,” said Rep. Scott. “We must encourage companies to create jobs at home here in America and not overseas, and my legislation will remove the ability of an unelected government board to stand in the way of American job creation. I want to thank Chairman Kline, as well as the other original cosponsors, for supporting this bill, and look forward to seeing this legislation come before the full House.”
Under current law, the NLRB has more than a dozen remedies at its disposal to hold employers accountable for unlawful labor practices, including the authority to order a private company to relocate or transfer existing or planned employment. The legislation amends the National Labor Relations Act to prohibit the NLRB from ordering any employer to relocate, shut down, or transfer employment under any circumstance. Further, upon enactment, the limitation on the NLRB’s authority will apply to all cases that have not reached final adjudication before the board.
Update
Scott’s legislation was approved by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on Thursday, July 21.
I want to thank Chairman Kline and the committee for moving swiftly on this important legislation,” said Rep. Scott. “This commonsense approach will remove an impediment to job growth across the entire country.”
The proposed legislation has gathered additional support in the House. Among some of the supporters on record are House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). McCarthy called the legislation “a critical, commonsense proposal to prohibit the NLRB from picking winners and losers on behalf of big labor.”
Scott hopes to have it come to a vote before the House in the near future.
