Mike Braun under fire for repeated labor violations, culminating in employee lawsuit

Indiana Republican gubernatorial nominee Mike Braun and his companies have been the subjects of various labor complaints and lawsuits, stretching through 2009-21.

Braun’s companies, the auto parts distribution company Meyer Distributing and the specialized transportation company Meyer Logistics, have been found to have repeatedly withheld wages, engaged in discriminatory termination practices and violated federal labor law. A report from the Associated Press in 2018 found that Braun’s company had committed26 labor violations — and was required to pay almost $40,000 to impacted parties. 

In addition to multiple lawsuits, both of Braun’s companies have received several OSHA violations as recently as 2021. Since 2013, Meyer Distributing and Meyer Logistics have been fined at least $20,894 for five safety violations, four of which were classified as “serious.” These incidents contribute to a troubling pattern of safety concerns, with Braun’s companies having accumulated fines for similar violations amounting to at least $20,000.

Meyer Logistics was also accused of firing an employee following their hospitalization for emergency heart surgery, with the company saying the employee was terminated from his jobs due to “medical separation due to inability to perform job duties” and his health insurance was then canceled. Further, Tomas Alcala, a former driver for Meyer Logistics, contends in his 2017 complaint that the company violated laws by conducting background checks on prospective employees without their consent, failing to provide required meal and rest periods to drivers, failing to pay minimum wages and overtime and failing to reimburse employees for required expenses.

Meyer Logistics was sued again in 2019 by a former employee alleging wrongful termination, withholding of wages and retaliation for seeking workers compensation. The unnamed employee claimed that he “consistently worked overtime hours for which he was never compensated” and that he was fired the day after filing his worker’s compensation claim. The case was settled in Washington state for an undisclosed amount. 

Recent polling has found the gubernatorial race in ruby-red Indiana to be closer than expected, with Braun holding a lead over Democrat Jennifer McCormick, the former state superintendent of public instruction. Still, Cook Political Report has the race as “solid R.” Braun has been the subject of several major missteps in recent weeks, including running a distorted attack -ad on McCormick which falsely claimed she wanted to ban gas stoves.

The race has attracted national attention. The Democratic Governors Association gave McCormick over $600,000 last week, which the Republican Governors Association quickly countered with $750,000 to Braun.

Indiana’s political landscape has swung solidly to the right since President Barack Obama’s 2008 win, with many Democrats seeing the state as unwinnable outside of the Chicago suburbs and Indianapolis. However, the state stands in contrast to its neighbors — Illinois is a solidly Democratic state, and Michigan and Ohio have both seen progressive measures like abortion rights pass.

Despite this, Democrats may have a chance in Indiana for the first time in many cycles. While the state remains largely conservative, recent trends suggest a possible opening for Democrats to compete more seriously in the state’s upcoming elections.