(The Associated Press circulated the following story on October 10.)
GEORGETOWN, Ky. — The National Labor Relations Board has found that Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky Inc. might have violated labor laws and ordered it to post a notice pledging not to discipline employees who support a union, an NLRB lawyer said.
Larry Moffatt, representative of the United Auto Workers Region 3, which includes Kentucky and Indiana, said the UAW filed about 35 charges against Toyota with the NLRB. The charges were grouped by type of complaint, and all but a few were dismissed, he said.
Toyota spokesman Rick Hesterberg said the plant decided to settle “the remaining minor issues because we wanted to put this behind us.
“From day one, we’ve been a company with strong values and respect for all people. We feel we followed the specifics of the law.”
Moffatt hailed the order.
“This is a victory for the workers at Georgetown who are trying to form a union,” he said Wednesday.
“This will take a lot of fear away from people who have been standing back for fear they would be disciplined if they got involved or expressed interest,” he said.
The United Auto Workers in June and September 2002 filed charges with the NLRB saying Toyota was discouraging union organizing activity.
In April of this year an employee filed a similar complaint.
The complaints said the plant had rules that prohibited workers from talking about unionizing and that employees were questioned about their involvement in the union, said Earl Ledford, regional attorney for the NLRB.
Ledford said the NLRB investigated the charges and “found some violations” by the plant of the National Labor Relations Act, which prohibits unfair labor practices.
The NLRB organized settlement negotiations. As part of the settlement, Toyota must post the notices throughout the plant for 60 days. By settling, Ledford said, Toyota does not admit to any wrongdoing.
Previous efforts by the UAW to unionize the plant have not been successful.
Pro-union workers at the plant cite safety concerns and lower wages compared with unionized plants.