Rumors have been swirling ever since Tim Walz made an appearance in Manitowoc last week.
People have claimed that the first shift workers at Manitowoc Pattern and Machining were sent home for the day with pay, and actors were brought in to fill the stands behind the vice-presidential candidate.
We reached out to Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry, the parent company of Manitowoc Pattern, to validate the claims.
The HR department did confirm that workers were given the option to take the day off with pay, but some did stay for the rally.
While not all of the workers on the stands were from Manitowoc Pattern, everyone in the stands were from Manitowoc and worked within the Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry system.
Some workers from Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry who wanted to participate were transported to the plant in the industrial park.
WAF CEO Sachin Shivaram also spoke prior to Governor Walz’s speech, as did Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels and AFL CIO Treasurer Marcos Alfaro.
