[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 18393-18394]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       BOEING CONTRACT EXTENSION

  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I have come to the floor this evening to 
congratulate the president of the International Association of 
Machinists union, Tom Buffenbarger, and Boeing's CEO, Jim McNerney, on 
their agreement today to extend their current contract for 4 years. 
This is a good deal. It reflects a strong and commendable commitment by 
Boeing to continue having their top-quality products made by top-
quality workers. It provides real job security and fair treatment for 
the company's valued employees. It will also resolve the current labor 
dispute between the company and the union that is pending before the 
National Labor Relations Board. This settlement is a step forward for a 
great company--Boeing--a step forward for a great union--the machinists 
union--and a step forward for our great Nation. Again, I commend the 
CEO of Boeing, Mr. Jim McNerney, and the president of the machinists 
union, Tom Buffenbarger, for working out this agreement.
  This agreement is also a compelling demonstration of the fact that 
the NLRB--the National Labor Relations Board--process works for all 
concerned. When an alleged unlawful activity happens, a charge is filed 
with the NLRB. That is what is supposed to happen. While the NLRB's 
process was playing out, the parties were able to sit down, negotiate, 
and strike a deal, which they announced today. As a matter of fact, 
that is what happens to most unfair labor practice charges filed at the 
NLRB. It is all a part of the process at that independent agency. Just 
as in our court system, cases settle to the benefit of both parties. 
That is what happened here. It also settled to the benefit of our 
Nation.
  What should not have happened was the unprecedented level of 
political and congressional interference in this case. It wasn't just 
that Republican elected officials attempted to try this case in the 
press, they went far beyond that. House Republicans attempted to 
eliminate the board's funding entirely because of this case. Senate 
Republicans have blocked the nominees for the board and the General 
Counsel of the NLRB. House Republicans tried to subpoena the 
prosecutor's case file so they could obtain documents that the company 
had been unable to obtain in the litigation. A Member of this body 
called the NLRB Acting General Counsel, Mr. Lafe Solomon--an 
independent prosecutor and a 30-year career veteran of the agency, not 
a political appointee--a Member of this body called him and threatened 
to come after Mr. Solomon ``guns ablazing'' if he brought charges 
against Boeing. I am informed that the House Oversight Committee 
actually threatened to try to revoke the bar licenses--the bar 
licenses--of individual career attorneys at the National Labor 
Relations Board because of this case.
  I have never, in all my years in public office, seen such a brazen 
and inappropriate interference with the business of an independent 
agency, and I hope to never see it again. The time and attention that 
House Republicans have devoted to their attack campaign against the 
National Labor Relations Board is nothing short of astonishing.
  What is even more absurd and shameless is the fact that they claim 
this attack campaign was intended to save jobs. What saved jobs was the 
negotiations between the great company, Boeing, and the great union, 
the machinists union. That is what saved the jobs.
  I am mystified by the suggestion by some Republicans that gutting the 
NLRB would somehow revive our economy. In survey after survey, business 
leaders agree about what is hurting the economy. It is not government. 
It is not regulation. It is not the NLRB. It is the lack of consumer 
demand. Workers don't have enough money to buy things, and the economy 
won't pick up until they do. Weakening workers' rights and taking away 
their ability to speak up for fair treatment will only make the problem 
worse.
  Attacking American workers and the agency that protects them is a 
poor substitute for a real job-creation strategy. Americans know that 
the National Labor Relations Board is not remotely responsible for our 
country's economic woes. Incapacitating this agency will not put food 
on people's tables, help them keep their homes, find jobs, or send 
their kids to college. It will, however, send a strong message to those 
few--few--unscrupulous employers who want to take advantage of this bad 
economy to mistreat hard-working people. Fortunately, that is not the

[[Page 18394]]

case with Boeing. Without the NLRB, there would be no watchdog, and it 
would be open season on workers' rights. At a time when decent jobs, 
good wages, and fair treatment are getting harder and harder to find, 
this would be a step in the wrong direction for our country.
  The National Labor Relations Board is an independent Federal agency 
charged with an important mission. In fulfilling that mission, the 
dedicated professionals at the board are doing their jobs as the law 
intended.
  Now it is time for the Republicans in the House and the Senate to do 
the same. Instead of continuing to pursue this pointless and 
distracting partisan crusade to dismantle and do away with the National 
Labor Relations Board, it is time to put this episode behind us. It is 
time to recognize the NLRB is doing its job, that companies and unions 
will sit down and work things out and settle things out without the 
Senate and the House and Governors--and Governors--of other States 
trying to interfere and make it a political football.
  Again, I congratulate the Boeing Company and the International 
Association of Machinists in doing what is best for America.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.

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