A hearing on a complaint the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed against Titan Tire in August 2000 is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Adams County Courthouse.

According to a complaint filed by United Steelworkers of America Local 303L – on strike from Titan’s Natchez plant since September 1998 – Titan did not have the right to fire about 250 workers when it took over the plant that month without first negotiating with the union.

Titan Chief Executive Officer Morry Taylor could not be reached for comment but, in a June interview, called the complaint &uot;a bunch of baloney.&uot;

Administrative Law Judge George Carson will preside over the hearing. The hearing is expected to run through Friday, when a date will be set for the hearing to continue.

&uot;They’ve looked at a couple of dates in October&uot; to continue the hearing, said attorney Michael Frost of the NLRB’s New Orleans office. In all, the hearing could last as long as four weeks.

Given recent negotiations between officials of Titan and Steelworkers Local 164 – on strike from Titan’s Des Moines plant about 40 months ago – NLRB officials were hoping the complaint could be resolved prior to the hearing, Frost said.

&uot;We had our fingers crossed, but they haven’t been able to resolve it,&uot; Frost said.

Union members have estimated hiring back workers would cost Titan $30 million.

&uot;He wouldn’t negotiate with us,&uot;&160;said Leo &uot;T-Bone&uot; Bradley, president of Local 303L. &uot;He either hires all of us or we continue to fight.&uot;

Earlier this year, NLRB Regional Director Curtis Wells consolidated the 11 charges filed Local 303L into one complaint &uot;in order to avoid unnecessary costs and delay.&uot;

The complaint alleges, among other things:

4That in August 1998, Taylor threatened to fire employees, lower wages, move work to another plant or close the plant because of employees’ involvement with the union.

4That Taylor asked employees to remove the union as their collective bargaining representative in August 1998.

4That other Titan executives interrogated employees or threatened not to hire people involved in union activities.

4That Titan has refused to give the union information about pay rates and hiring dates for production and maintenance employees, as well as information about the Natchez plant’s safety record and equipment.

4That Titan refused to give the union information about contractor Mark E. Mason.

4That Titan refused to give the union information about daily production at the plant. The complaint states that the union, as the collective bargaining unit, needs information for negotiations.

4That Titan fired union employees and made numerous changes to its benefit plan on or about Sept. 4, 1998 without giving the union the opportunity to bargain regarding the changes.