In Lansing, Michigan, a local Teamsters union has lodged a federal complaint against Neogen, a prominent employer in the city. The union is alleging that the company interfered with workers’ rights to establish a union, claims which Neogen strongly denies.
Bill Black, a spokesperson for Teamsters Local 243, accused Neogen of creating a hostile environment for workers attempting to organize. He claims that workers were “intimidated and scared and harassed” and even threatened with job loss. All of these activities allegedly took place while Neogen was seeking tax incentives to support expansion projects in Lansing.
Neogen has planned a major expansion of its Lansing campus, a project estimated at $208 million. The union has called for this expansion to be halted pending investigation of their complaint. Conversely, Dr. Amy Rocklin, Neogen’s Legal and Compliance Officer, believes the project should move forward. Dr. Rocklin states that the allegations contained in the Teamsters’ complaint are unfounded.
The Lansing City Council, after hearing from both parties on repeated occasions, decided to allow the Neogen expansion to proceed. However, Jeremy Garza, the City Council President, sent a clear message to Neogen, encouraging the company to examine its practices if the allegations are proven to be true.
If the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) finds Neogen to be in contravention of labor laws, the expansion project tied to the alleged violations could have to be halted. The federal complaint lodged by the union against Neogen will be reviewed in a hearing by an administrative law judge from the National Labor Relations Board on October 28th in Detroit.
Neogen has yet to issue a public comment or response to these recent developments.
