Kingspan Settled U.S. Labor Case After NLRB Complaint Over Union-Organizing Dispute
Company: Kingspan Group plc
Summary
Kingspan Insulated Panels faced a U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) case arising from a union-organizing dispute involving workers at its Modesto, California facility and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART). SMART accused Kingspan of interfering with workers' organizing rights and engaging in coercive or retaliatory conduct connected with union activity. The case progressed beyond the initial allegation stage: on May 16, 2025, the NLRB General Counsel issued a formal Complaint and Notice of Hearing against Kingspan. NLRB – Kingspan Insulated Panels case 32-CA-331630: https://www.nlrb.gov/case/32-CA-331630 Kingspan contested the allegations and filed an answer to the complaint. The company has also publicly rejected SMART's broader accusations, saying it respects employees' freedom to decide whether they want union representation and accusing SMART of using misleading claims to pressure Kingspan into accepting a neutrality agreement. Kingspan response: https://smartuniontherealstory.kingspan.com/ The dispute was ultimately resolved without a final administrative-law-judge ruling on the merits. The NLRB docket records an informal settlement in January 2026 followed by a bilateral settlement agreement dated February 24, 2026. The settlement should therefore not be treated as a finding that every allegation against Kingspan was proven. However, the case went substantially beyond an unsupported union accusation: the NLRB investigated the charges, its General Counsel issued a formal complaint, Kingspan defended the proceedings, and the parties ultimately reached a settlement. Key facts: NLRB case involving Kingspan's Modesto workers and SMART; formal NLRB complaint issued May 16, 2025; Kingspan disputed the allegations; case concluded through a bilateral settlement on February 24, 2026; no final ALJ finding of liability. SMART – Kingspan campaign: https://www.smart-union.org/tag/kingspan/