Jan 1, 2007 12:00 PM

As of Dec 11, 2006, Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies is officially union-free. The National Labor Relations Board has certified and confirmed results of a decertification vote that occurred October 5. Almost two-thirds of the production plant employees in Rice Lake WI voted against having Teamsters continue as the collective bargaining representative, essentially creating a non-union shop.

Johnson, a union shop for more than 40 years, overcame a labor dispute in 2005, with a rebound in 2006. On April 7, 2005, during labor negotiations between Johnson and Teamsters Local 662, union officials ended talks, pulled all 267 Johnson union employees off the job, and called a strike. The seven-month strike concluded in October 2005, and Johnson has since been steadily rebuilding its productivity and streamlining its systems.