GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) - Gov. Nikki Haley constantly stresses her efforts to bring jobs to South Carolina.
But Haley says she discourages companies from moving to the state if they will bring a unionized workforce.
Haley told The Greenville News (https://grnol.co/1eWpvWB) on Wednesday she does not want union jobs in the state. Haley was in Greenville for an automotive conference.
Haley says she’s happy for the non-union jobs at BMW, Michelin and Boeing. But she would not like to see Ford, General Motors or Chrysler in South Carolina.
“It’s not something we want to see happen,” Haley said.
Haley’s likely opponent in this year’s election, Camden Sen. Vincent Sheheen, says South Carolina should remain a right-to-work state where employees decide whether to join a union.
“But I also think that if Ford Motor Co. wanted to bring 10,000 jobs to South Carolina, we would welcome them with open arms,” Sheheen said.
During Haley’s first year in office, the National Labor Relations Board went to court to block the Boeing Co. from making its Dreamliner jet at a new factory in North Charleston.
The NLRB said Boeing built the plant in South Carolina in retaliation for past union strikes at the company’s Washington state operations. The NLRB later dropped the complaint.
Haley urged auto industry executives at Wednesday’s meeting to guard against unions.
“They’re coming into South Carolina. They’re trying,” Haley warned. “We’re hearing it. The good news is it’s not working.”
Erin McKee, president of the South Carolina chapter of the AFL-CIO said is not doing a good job of representing the people of the state.
South Carolinians “have the right to have good jobs, and if those are union jobs, they’re union jobs,” McKee said.
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Information from: The Greenville News, https://www.greenvillenews.com
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