APPLETON, WI -- The man behind a class-action lawsuit against Pierce Manufacturing is now leading an effort to organize a labor union.
His reasons include safety concerns and management issues.
Eric Ehmann hasn't been back to Pierce Manufacturing since April 2016, after being placed on paid leave with the nation's largest fire truck manufacturer.
But he claims his concerns arose shortly after starting work there.
They include concerns over air quality in the manufacturing facility, and what Ehmann describes as a lack of safety zones around forklift operations.
"Vehicle chassis--finished and unfinished--are stored outside, exposed to the weather with no covering whatsoever," says Ehmann, "so, when it rains or snows, they get filled with snow and water. And then they move them indoors, and workers are constantly slipping, and working in hazardous situations."
"What we're doing at this initial stage is simply asking workers to share with us their interest in supporting our cause," says Ehmann, "spreading the word to other workers so that we can get as many names as possible compiled so that we can go to the next step."
On Thursday, in an official statement, spokespeople for Pierce's parent company Oshkosh Corporation told NBC26:
"We are not aware of any efforts to unionize our workforce. We’re proud of the 2,250 team members at Pierce who build industry-leading fire and emergency apparatus for our customers around the United States, and world. Pierce Manufacturing is a great place to work with a robust safety management system, great wages, and a competitive benefits package. We’re proud to be part of the Fox Valley community as a trusted employer and partner."
