Haley predicts union will fail to organize Boeing plant

Gov. Nikki Haley said in Greenville Tuesday that she expects a union to fail in its attempt to organize workers at The Boeing Co. plant in North Charleston.

A representative of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, however, said the campaign would continue as long as necessary.

"We're committed to these workers throughout Boeing," said IAM representative Mike Evans. "They reached out to us. And we'll stay here as long as they'd like us to stay here."

Haley made the remarks while speaking at the TD Convention Center as part of a manufacturing conference sponsored by SC Biz News, a publisher of business news.

Union organizing won't stop in Charleston if the IAM is successful, the governor warned.

"After Charleston it will come to Greenville," Haley told conference attendees. "After Greenville it will go to Florence. After Florence it will go to Aiken. This isn't a Boeing issue. This isn't a Charleston issue. This is our issue."

Boeing workers are scheduled to vote on April 22 whether to let the IAM represent them.

Evans said Haley "constantly tells people why the workers don't need the IAM. But she never asks the workers why they think they need the IAM."

"She's never once said, 'Is there a problem down there? What can Boeing do to address it? These are my citizens, these are my constituents."

Instead, Evans said, Haley has "always just taken the approach of let Boeing be the ultimate decider of what happens to these people who are about to dedicate their working lives to help Boeing be successful."