Party Politics at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed a lawsuit in April 2011, against Boeing, claiming that the company’s decision to open a Dreamliner production line in South Carolina was in retaliation against The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers for a series of union strikes that reportedly slowed production of the plane in 2008 in Washington State. Boeing claimed that the NLRB’s action represented radical departure from both NLRB and Supreme Court precedent. Through FOIA, Judicial Watch compelled the NLRB to produce documents demonstrating top NLRB officials cheerleading for union interests and indicating political motivation behind the NLRB’s action. The NLRB recently dropped its complaint following a settlement between Boeing and the International Association of Machinists.

Judicial Watch continues to investigate partisanship in Obama’s NLRB. Last year, President Obama bypassed the U.S. Senate and recess-appointed Craig Becker to head the NLRB’s five-member board. The Becker appointment was made after the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate refused to move forward on his confirmation. An ally of ACORN, Becker had previously worked for the SEIU and the AFL-CIO, major financial backers of Obama and the Democratic Party.