Feb 20, 2014, 4:54pm ET

Gov. Nikki Haley: Chrysler, Ford, GM union jobs not welcome in S. Carolina

Governor doesn\'t want unions to \"taint the water.\"

Speaking to media at the South Carolina Auto Summit, Governor Nikki Haley made it clear that union jobs from Ford, General Motors, Chrysler or any other companies are not welcome in her state.

"I think unions are trying to get in wherever they can; they're getting desperate and so they are trying to sneak in anywhere they can," she told a reporter from The Greenville News. "My job is to make sure that I keep kickin' 'em out."

When pressed for her opinion on Volkswagen's attempt to establish a German-style works council, Haley suggested it was an "odd situation" that South Carolina attempts to avoid by talking with potential incoming companies "ahead of time" and clarifying the state's anti-union stance.

"We discourage any companies that have unions from wanting to come to South Carolina because we don't want to taint the water," Haley added.

In an interesting twist following the vote by VW's Chattanooga workers to reject UAW representation, the company's labor leader threatened to block any further expansion plans in the South.

One of Haley's Democratic opponents, State Senator Vincent Sheheen, supports union-restricting "right to work" legislation, however he has taken a more cordial tone regarding prospective employers.

"We need good, high-paying jobs in South Carolina," he said. "Part of leadership is putting ideology and partisanship to the side when there's something that could be good for South Carolina."