Apollo Milling sues USW local, saying ad made company appear to be racist

A Facebook page that made it appear the Apollo Milling Co. promoted racism against blacks shopping at the North Apollo animal supply store has sparked a lawsuit by the owner of the business founded in 1849.

“I was dumbfounded,” owner Dennis Reefer said about the page he contends was created in October by a member of the United Steelworkers of America Local 1196 because Reefer refused to publicly support the group during its bitter labor dispute with Allegheny Technologies Inc.

The Facebook page showed a doctored photo of the Apollo Milling Co. facade with a placard outside that read: “Coloreds Welcome, please use back door,” according to the lawsuit filed by Reefer this week in Westmoreland County court.

The defamation lawsuit seeks in excess of $30,000 from Steelworkers member Terry Stinson of New Kensington and Local 1196. Stinson said Wednesday he had not seen the lawsuit and couldn't comment.

“They tried to label us as racist, and it was kind of beyond the pale. I was outraged,” Reefer said. “Until it got taken down, when you Googled ‘Apollo Milling,' that is what came up. They were making a racial attack on me. I know we were damaged.”

In the lawsuit, Reefer contends union members sought to punish his business after he refused to display a sign in support of the union during last year's labor dispute when workers were locked out by company officials for more than 200 days.

According to the lawsuit, union member Stinson was identified as the man who created the fake Facebook page.

Todd Barbiaux, president of the United Steelworkers Local 1196 based in Brackenridge, said Stinson was not a member of his local and belonged to another branch of the bargaining unit. Still, Barbiaux said the union is not responsible for actions of its members.

“It has nothing to do with us. We're not responsible for other people's actions. If we knew anybody's behavior was inappropriate, we stopped it. We're all adults and everybody is responsible for their own actions,” Barbiaux said.

According to the lawsuit, Reefer, whose family has owned the business on River Road since 1960, said he became aware of the bogus page shortly after he refused the union's request to place a sign in his store window supporting its labor fight against ATI. While he supported the union fight, he did not want a sign in his window for fear that it would alienate the company's backers, Reefer said Wednesday.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-830-6293 or rcholodofsky@tribweb.com.