Fired worker cries foul

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=883545&category=BUSINESS

NLRB investigates claim by former laborer at GlobalFoundries site

By LARRY RULISON, Business writer
First published in print: Thursday, December 31, 2009

MALTA -- A laborer at the GlobalFoundries Inc. construction site in Malta is accusing his former bosses of unfair labor practices after he was fired following a small fire there several months ago.

The case, which involves MLB Construction Services LLC of Malta and Gomez Electric Contractors Inc. of Albany, two of the contractors working on the $4.2 billion computer chip factory project, is being investigated by the National Labor Relations Board. A hearing has been set for March 1 in downtown Albany.

According to an NLRB complaint issued on Dec. 22, Ralph Ziegler, a worker for Gomez Electric, complained to his bosses on Oct. 14 about a fire that ignited on the site -- and the lack of a fire extinguisher and other safety equipment.

The complaint alleges that Joseph Macera, a superintendent with MLB Construction, ordered that Ziegler be fired. He was let go by Gomez on Oct. 16.

MLB Construction is in charge of the concrete work at the site and building the foundations and walls. It is a subcontractor to M+W Zander U.S. Operations Inc. Zander is the general contractor overseeing the construction of the $800 million building that will house the factory, known as Fab 2. Gomez Electric is responsible for embedding electrical conduits into the concrete.

Neither GlobalFoundries nor M+W Zander are parties in the case, and they were not named in the NLRB complaint.

FULL story at link.