Obama says companies need to have the freedom to relocate work, though they must follow the law when doing so.

The president was responding to a question about a lawsuit filed by the National Labor Relations Board against Boeing, accusing the aerospace company of illegally retaliating against its unionized work force in Washington state by opening a new production line for its 787 airplane in South Carolina, a right-to-work state.

"We see nothing in the President's comments that deviate from his previous position -- that it is a law enforcement action that will run its course in the courts," said Connie Kelliher, the Boeing Machinists' spokesperson. "Any of his other statements reflect what we believe America's priorities should be -- creating jobs in America, following the law, and that workers and management need to work together to ensure America wins in global competitions. We want to thank President Obama for reminding corporations of the importance of having positive labor relations, which is what the Machinists Union strives for."

Obama says the case was brought by an independent agency and a judge would decide the facts.