GM Takes Dispute with UAW Local 1112 to Court

04/18/96

GM made a show of force in their dispute with UAW Local 1112 by taking the issue to court. Some members of UAW Local 1112 went out on a short lived wildcat struck at GM's Lordstown, Ohio plant earlier this week to protest the firing of shop chairman Al Alli.

According to the terms of the GM/UAW National Agreement, workers are supposed to resolve disputes over employee discharges peacefully and without resorting to strikes. The union's international and local headquarters responded to the strike immediately, calling it unauthorized and directing employees to go back to work, immediately. The striking workers returned to work on Tuesday.

In spite of the fact that union leadership ordered workers back to work and the fact that employees were returning to the assembly line, GM took the issue to court and filed for a restraining order against the workers. Late Tuesday afternoon, United States District Judge Gaughin entered a temporary restraining order that prohibited plant employees from striking, stopping work, slowing down, or picketing over the discharge of Al Alli.

The company claims that Alli was fired for time card fraud. GM claims that Alli had been warned that cheating on his time card would not be tolerated two years ago, when they say they caught Alli turning in a time card that said he was working at the Ohio plant when he was really in Las Vegas. Alli dismissed the charges and said he had been clocking in the same way for 20 years.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel