June 1 -- Management of Quebecor World, Inc. has broken its promise to employees to foster a workplace free from coercion and intimidation, say workers in the company's Covington, Tenn., and Olive Branch, Miss., facilities. Workers filed 15 new charges today at the U.S. National Labor Relations Board citing Quebecor World's unlawful threats of plant closure, disparate treatment of workers who want to form a union, surveillance of workers, and the promise of additional benefits to workers who do not support the union. Workers have also filed 23 other charges with the U.S. government regarding Quebecor World's unlawful treatment of workers. One worker from Covington was fired because he would not spy on his coworkers on management's behalf, according to the previously filed charges. During past union organizing drives, the U.S. government found that Quebecor World broke the law when workers tried to organize by threatening employees with loss of jobs if they formed a union and by firing and disciplining workers who supported the union. "Quebecor senior management has repeatedly claimed that the company respects workers' right to form a union, but the charges filed today paint a picture of coercion and threats," said Duncan Brown, International Vice President of the Graphic Communications International Union (GCIU). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Quebecor World Responds Quebecor World denies allegations of unfair labor practices that are contained in a union sponsored press release. Quebecor World believes this is an ongoing tactic being used by the union leaderships' campaign. In its latest release the union states the Company has been found to have broken U.S. law when workers tried to organize. This is completely false and defamatory. Quebecor World has solid relationships with the union members of its workforce and is one of the most highly unionized companies in the printing industry. Approximately one-third of our U.S. employees or more than 7,000 are union members. This compares to approximately 12% of public and private sector unionized employees in the U.S. Quebecor World has always and will continue to abide by and respect the labor laws in all the jurisdictions in which it operates. Quebecor World believes the filing of such unfair labor practices is a well-established strategy being used in the furtherance of the union's corporate campaign goals. The union's stated goal is to force the Company to give up its rights under the law in instances of union organizing attempts and that the Company take away its employees' legal and democratic right to vote on the issue of unionization by secret ballot. Quebecor World will not be forced into giving up its legal rights nor its employees' right to a secret ballot election to select union representation. At the present time the National Labor Relations Board has not notified the Company of any newly filed unfair labor practice charges. However the Company categorically denies the specific allegations in the union's press release. If any unfair labor practice charges have, in fact, been filed Quebecor World will cooperate fully with the NLRB and demonstrate yet again that Quebecor World complies with the requirements of the law.