The man behind the class-action lawsuit against Pierce Manufacturing, in Appleton, says he has been placed on paid leave.
The lawsuit is requesting overtime compensation, and unpaid wages for hundreds of employees.
When we last spoke with employee Eric Ehmann, he was busy informing fellow employees on how to join the lawsuit. But now, he says he's been placed on paid leave as the fire truck manufacturing company investigates allegations that he claims are not true.
With nearly 400 employees now signed on to the lawsuit, Ehmann says the momentum is growing.
But last week, Ehmann says he was called to a meeting with Human Resources, where they read him a letter "stating that I would be placed on paid leave indefinitely while they investigate whether I violated any workplace rules," says Ehmann.
Ehmann says he was later told by coworkers that some of the informational flyers he passed out during non-work hours were found in finished fire trucks.
"And, apparently they assume that I put them there, even though they're in a completely different work area from where I work," says Ehmann, adding that he had passed out hundreds of flyers in previous weeks, "and I had not put them there."
We did reach out to Pierce Manufacturing's attorney in Green Bay for a response, who put us in touch with the company's parent company, Oshkosh Corporation.
Their spokespeople did respond with an official statement, saying:
"It is the company policy that we do not comment on specific personnel matters. Pierce values its employees, customers and the community and has so for over 100 years."
For now, Ehmann says he's just waiting to hear whether he'll be returning to work anytime soon.
"I really miss being at work with my co-workers every day," says Ehmann, "I feel like I should be there with them as this process unfolds."
Ehmann says he's encouraged by the outpouring of support he's receiving from co-workers.
He adds that the lawsuit will continue to move forward regardless of his future at the company.
Ehmann's attorney says progress on the lawsuit in Green Bay federal court could take months. They are asking for a jury trial.
