Union thuggery

A friend of mine is on the bus that is hown in the linked video:

http://www.wgme.com/News/story_detail/story_detail_8.shtml?readmore

.  Here is what he reports:

 Hi all.  I just came from a press conference held by the US Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the Maine State Chamber of Commerce.  It was held in Portland and dealt with the EFCA.  I spoke on behalf of ABC Maine and also got in a few words about FEA.  After the news conference we went on the US Chambers special bus to Monument Square in the center of Portland.  There were at least 75 union members holding a protest rally against the Chamber and in support of the EFCA.  The interesting thing is the protest was organized by the Maine Democratic Party.  There were about 15 of us on the bus and nobody wanted to get off so I led the way.  We were heckled, swore at, and called some names.  One of the young ladies from the chamber tried to set up some tables and put leaflets and information on it and the protesters kicked the tables over on the lady who was not hurt.  We then were interviewed by ABC, NBC, and CBS about the EFCA.  With the noise in the background I pointed out to the media that this protest is exactly why businesses have to work to defeat this bill.  When you disagree with organized labor they resort to bullying, intimidation, and peer pressure.  Why would any business want to subject there employees to that type of intimidation and bullying that was going on right across the street.  I will send you the clip once I get it.  They looked like morons which they are.

I sure am glad that  Maine's union workers, as few as they are, have the time to take out of their busy work days to go do a good ol' fashioned protest! 

No wait, I know, they are so productive that they actually sped up the line and finished early!  I didn't see them wearing all of their mandatory protective gear or properly warming up to avoid 'ergonomic' injuries either.  Somebody file a grievance.  You can find the shop steward asleep in the parking lot....making time and a half.

(promoted by Soren -- these stories need to get out more)

Members of the carpenters union in New York City have ruined any chance that authorities there will take their union out of government oversight by beating unconscious William Davenport, a union dissident running for office in the union.

After an August 5 candidates forum, the candidate was beaten by members of the carpenters union audience outside a church. Outside a CHURCH!

This thuggery along with continued Mob involvement, indictments and convictions on corruption of union members convinced Judge Charles S. Haight, Jr. not to release the union from government oversight.

The assault last week on the dissident union candidate, William Davenport, undermined the union’s assertions of a change in its internal culture. Mr. Davenport, according to several accounts, was heckled when he spoke at the union meeting, which was attended by about 500 members. Despite the presence of two retired police detectives hired to maintain order, a group of men stood up in the front rows and screamed, according to one longtime union dissident who was there.

One union member said that "It was disgraceful -- thugs took over the meeting." I'd say that thugs are more common in unions than not.

In any case, the carpenters are outta luck to get control of their union back. The judge did mention that the union had done better since it originally went into government oversight, but that it is way too early to claim that the Mob influence and corruption is excised from the union. We may all have a long, long wait for that to happen.

In the meantime, the corrupt, mob infested, thug populated New York City carpenters union will stay under the control of government watchdogs. Good thing, too.

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