U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration attorneys have filed a contempt of court motion against Titan Tire in U.S. District Court in Jackson, an OSHA official confirmed Friday.

The charges will be heard by Magistrate Judge Alfred Nichols, said Clyde Payne, director of OSHA’s office in Jackson. Titan Tire has already filed a motion to quash the contempt request.

A hearing date has not been set for either request, said Cynthia Brown, a Birmingham, Ala.-based associate regional solicitor for OSHA.

If Titan is found guilty of contempt, penalties will be decided by Nichols, Brown said.

The contempt of court charges were filed after plant officials refused to allow an OSHA inspector to enter the plant Jan. 31 even though the inspector had a warrant to enter to investigate a recent complaint filed against Titan.

&uot;We have no problem with the government wanting to come in and work with us to make the plant safer,&uot;&160;said Titan CEO Morry Taylor. &uot;But to continually be harassed … is just ridiculous. They’re not supposed to be able to do something like that.&uot;

Taylor contends that the complaint OSHA is attempting to investigate was filed by United Steelworkers of America 303L&160;as a harassment tactic.

Payne will not reveal whether Local 303L, on strike from Titan since September 1998, filed the complaint or say what alleged violations OSHA is investigating.

&uot;The OSHA regulations are designed to protect the safety of the workplace,&uot;&160;Local 303L President Leo &uot;T-Bone&uot; Bradley said in a recent press release.

&uot;By being being actively hostile to OSHA, Titan shows its true face. Not only is it contempt of court, it has only contempt for the safety of its workforce.&uot;

On Oct. 22, OSHA inspectors were barred from entering the plant to investigate the same complaints.

At that time, the inspectors did not have a warrant to search the property, so barring their entry was not against the law.

Brown said she does not know how often OSHA has to file such contempt motions against businesses.

&uot;But it is not uncommon,&uot;&160;she added.