03-19-2020
The United Auto Workers (UAW) has begun an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against a director of one of its regions, Region 2B. Richard Rankin, the director in question, also has a seat on the UAW governing board. It has been reported that the firm Bredhoff & Kaiser has been hired to conduct the investigation.Two current UAW staffers from Local 2213 have claimed that he “repeatedly made sexually charged remarks that in one instance escalated to a physical threat.” Local 2213 represents professional registered nurses in Toledo, Ohio. The UAW did not name Rankin but did admit to an ongoing investigation, with assurances that it will take appropriate corrective action if there was misconduct in the workplace.
Rankin has responded that he intends to fully cooperated with the investigation as well as the investigation process. He has been a member of the union since 1997 and has been in his current post since June 2017. His region represents workers from “50 diverse companies” in Ohio and Indiana. The UAW has stated that it is also reviewing an internal complaint of these issues.