The National Labor Relations Board's lawsuit against Boeing for alleged union busting took center stage, as a congressional committee held a politically charged field hearing on the issue in North Charleston. Among the witnesses was Lafe Solomon. The NLRB's top lawyer, he agreed to appear only after being threatened with subpoena by the committee. The NLRB alleges Boeing built its 787 assembly line at a nonunion site in North Charleston as an illegal form of retaliation against the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers for past strikes. Union supporters blasted the proceedings as political grandstanding.
Tee-time twosome
Gov. Nikki Haley and PGA Tour officials announced major financial commitments from RBC Bank and Boeing Co. for the Heritage golf tournament, a huge spring tourist event on Hilton Head Island. RBC said it signed a five-year agreement to become the new title sponsor of the newly renamed RBC Heritage through 2016. Boeing will serve as local presenting sponsor.
Cruise conflict
A year and a half of contentious debate over Charleston's cruise industry got uglier when industry opponents filed a lawsuit against the port's No. 1 cruise customer. The Coastal Conservation League, the Preservation Society of Charleston and the city's Ansonborough and Charlestowne neighborhoods allege Carnival is breaking local and state laws. City and port leaders vowed to join the court proceedings against Carnival and to side with the Miami-based company.
Double digits
South Carolina's unemployment went up slightly in May, reversing a four-month downward trend. The state Department of Employment and Workforce said Friday that the May jobless rate was 10 percent, up from 9.8 percent in April. Officials say the increase is typical for this time of year, as new college and high school graduates enter the labor pool and more people look for seasonal, tourism-related work.
Moving on
The chief financial officer and interim president of struggling Tidelands Bank has submitted his resignation, saying he is taking a job in the Atlanta area. Alan W. Jackson notified the Mount Pleasant-based lender that he would step down June 30. Tidelands said his resignation "was not the result of any dispute or disagreement" with the bank. Jackson has been CFO of Tidelands since it opened it doors in October 2003.