Opinion ID: 1804009
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Admission of Newspaper Articles.

Text: Titan Tire argues on appeal that evidence in the form of newspaper articles should not have been admitted by the ALJ. It claims this evidence is inadmissible hearsay and that the requirements of Iowa Code section 17A.14, governing the admission of evidence in a contested case hearing, were not met. We find it unnecessary to determine whether the ALJ erred or abused its discretion in admitting this evidence because Titan Tire has not shown that any error prejudiced its substantial rights. See Iowa Code § 17A.19(8) (requiring party challenging contested case decision to show that its substantial rights were prejudiced). The challenged evidence consists of newspaper accounts of statements made by Taylor at various press conferences that production had been moved to Texas, that this transfer of equipment eliminated jobs in Des Moines, and that, in addition, the company was hiring replacements for the striking employees. We do not think this evidence can be deemed prejudicial in view of the other evidence before the agency. The company stated in response to the Bureau's inquiry that it had hired 250 permanent replacements and that hiring of replacements was ongoing. At the hearing, Titan Tire's company representative, William Campbell, testified that people were hired to come in and fill the jobs that were previously being done by bargaining unit employees. He confirmed that over 300 replacement workers had been employed by the date of the hearing. Thus, the fighting issue in this case was not whether replacement workers were hiredthe company admitted they were. The determinative issue was whether the striking workers, who were notified that they would be permanently replaced, were also told that even if they did not return in accordance with the company's schedule, there would be jobs available to them should they decide to come back to work after the June 24 deadline. In view of the fact that the challenged evidence did not impact the determinative issue in this case, we conclude any error or abuse of discretion in the admission of the newspaper articles did not prejudice the company's substantial rights. Therefore, it is not necessary to determine the correctness of the ALJ's ruling on this evidentiary matter. We proceed now to consider whether the Board's finding that Titan Tire did not notify the strikers that jobs were available despite the strikers' failure to report to work as requested by the company is supported by substantial evidence.