Boeing Accused of Retaliating Against Union

Federal labor regulators are accusing the Boeing Co. of putting one of its assembly lines for the new 787 in South Carolina to retaliate against union workers who went on strike in 2008.

Most 787s are being assembled in Washington state by members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The union has claimed that a second assembly line was set up at a non-union plant in in North Charleston, S.C.

The National Labor Relations Board complaint filed on Wednesday quotes public statements by Boeing executives saying they put the plant in South Carolina in part to avoid future labor disruptions. The government complaint says this amounts to discriminating based on union activity.

A hearing before an administrative law judge is planned for June 14 in Seattle.