- Honda has been accused of forcing workers to remove UAW stickers from safety helmets.
- The automaker denies the claims, stating they will fight them at a hearing in October.
- United Auto Workers leaders want to see Honda’s Greensburg plant unionize.
A federal labor board official has accused Honda of illegally cracking down on union organizing at a factory in Greensburg, Indiana, and if the carmaker doesn’t settle the claims, it’ll have to face a hearing.
In a complain filed Tuesday, a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regional director alleged that Honda violated a U.S. labor law that grants workers the freedom to participate in union organizing and advocate for better working conditions.
The complaint asserts that Honda forced workers at its Indiana factory to remove United Auto Workers (UAW) stickers from their safety helmets, threatened to discipline union supporters, and unlawfully surveilled employees.
Read: UAW Accuses Hyundai, VW, Honda Of Union Busting At US Factories
Honda has stated that it believes the claims lack merit. According to NLRB spokeswoman Kayla Blado, if the claims are not settled, an administrative judge will conduct a hearing in October. Following this, a five-member board from the NLRB can review the judge’s ruling, and has the option to appeal any decision to federal appeals courts. Honda, in a statement to Reuters, expressed that it ‘looks forward to a hearing
The Japanese car manufacturer added that “filing unfair labor practice charges [is] a common tactic used by the union to generate publicity and attention for their organizing campaigns.”
In December, the United Auto Workers (UAW) union claimed that Honda, Hyundai, and Volkswagen were using illegal tactics to prevent workers from organizing and joining the UAW. The Greensburg facility employs approximately 2,400 people, and the UAW has said hundreds have already signed union cards to join it. Honda worker Josh Cupit claimed late last year that management was “illegally tell us to remove union stickers from our hats, and for basically threatening us with write-ups.”
The UAW has launched an ambitious initiative to unionize as much of the U.S. auto industry as possible. In May, it lost a vote to unionize a Mercedes-Benz factory in Alabama. Shortly after the result, the UAW called for a new election, alleging that the car manufacturer had terminated pro-union employees and conducted frequent captive-audience meetings to promote anti-union sentiments.
