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The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is addressing another potential labor law violation by Menards.
The NLRB issued a complaint regarding the big box home improvement retailer for possibly violating labor laws by classifying its delivery drivers as independent contractors instead of employees, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Categorizing drivers as contractors “deprived them of workplace protections afforded to employees,” the Chicago Tribune reports.
The complaint also says Menards prohibits drivers from filing class-action lawsuits or labor complaints against the company, the Journal Sentinel says.
Earlier this year, the NLRB found merit in claims that the company was barring employees from joining class-action lawsuits and was financially penalizing employees who engaged in union activities.
However, Menards spokesperson Jeff Abbott tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in an email that the recent complaint is “ridiculous” and “it lacks any merit.”
“Our corporation has contracts with various corporations to deliver goods to our customers,” Abbott says in the email. “We are puzzled why the NLRB is involved with this because we have no disputes with any of these corporations or any of their employees.”
The NRLB issues complaints after investigating charges against an employer and deciding if action should be taken, according to the agency website.
If the charge isn’t settled or withdrawn, then the NLRB files a complaint and schedules a hearing about the case, the website says.
