Former SC Gov. Nikki Haley nominated for board seat at Boeing

CHICAGO — Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, has been nominated for a seat on the board of directors at Boeing Co.

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The defense contractor and aircraft manufacturer said Tuesday that Haley will stand for election at its annual shareholder meeting on April 29.

Haley was previously the governor of South Carolina, and she fought attempts by unions to represent workers at the plant where the Chicago-based company assembles its Boeing 787 jetliners. She said that companies in her state take care of workers, and unions aren't needed.

In 2017, Boeing workers in North Charleston voted about 3-to-1 against representation by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, a resounding setback for unions that have long hoped to make inroads in the South.

Boeing did not say whether Haley will replace a current director or will expand the board. A spokesman said the company would disclose more details when it files a proxy statement next month.

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There are currently 13 directors including a former White House chief of staff under President George H.W. Bush, a former U.S. trade representative under President George W. Bush, a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under the younger Bush, and Caroline Kennedy, the U.S. ambassador to Japan under President Barack Obama.

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said Tuesday that the company will benefit from Haley's combination of diplomatic, government and business experience.

The 47-year-old Haley was named as ambassador to the UN by President Donald Trump, and served from January 2017 until December 2018. In a prepared statement from the company, she praised Boeing as the world's biggest aerospace company and the largest U.S. exporter.

Associated Press