Driver Says Overnite Paid Him to Smear Teamsters

A driver for Overnite Transportation has told federal officials that he was paid $10,000 to falsely accuse Teamster supporters of vandalizing property at the trucking firm in order to get them fired, the New York Times reported Tuesday.

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The union has been locked in a bitter strike against Overnite, for nine months as it has sought to organize workers at the Richmond, Va.-based national less-than-truckload carrier.

Anthony Holly said, in an affidavit given to federal officials, that he lied to the National Labor Relations Board when he claimed two union supporters threatened him for crossing a picket line set up by striking Teamsters, the Times reported.

Holly went on to say that Overnite officials wanted him to damage property, such as breaking windows, and have it blamed on Teamster supporters, the Times reported.

In a statement released Tuesday by Overnite spokesman Ira Rosenfeld, the company denied the allegations and said that “Mr. Holly is a liar and ... is totally unreliable as to anything he says.” Rosenfeld explained Holly received two loans since October and Holly was repaying them, with interest. The loans were requested by Holly, Rosenfeld said.

“It is a disgrace that Mr. Holly has repaid the company’s effort to assist him ... by falsely accusing the company and assisting the Teamsters in their continuing campaign for misrepresentation,” the statement read.