SEIU Storms Conference, Injures Visitors
Posted on April 18, 2008
-By Warner Todd Huston
Well, it was funny seeing the SEIU and the CNA squaring off for a battle royale, but now things are really getting serious and at this point even a staunch anti-unionist has to say that things are getting out of hand.
The folks over at LaborNotes.org brings us the story of SEIU members being bussed in six, count them SIX, busses to invade and disrupt a conference being attended by California Nurses Association members in Dearborn, Michigan last weekend. Reports are that people were injured as the hundreds of bussed in SEIU members forcibly broke into the conference to disrupt the proceedings.
The ridiculous thing is that the conference was supposed to be about “democracy” in unions put on by Labor Notes Magazine.
This escalation of violence by SEIU members is a disturbing trend that really does make the lie to the claim that SEIU prez Andy Stern is interested in legitimate representation, but is more interested in coercion and intimidation.
Rose Ann DeMoro , president of the CNA told reporters that, “There is an ugly pattern here of physical abuse and tactics of intimidation that have no place in either our labor movement or a civilized society.” She has a point, too.
Deborah Burger of the Huffington Post has a longer report on this unabashed thuggery by the SEIU.
It looks like the SEIU is turning into the lowdown sort of actors that we are used to seeing from union thugs everywhere.
Well, here is the question: will Service Employee International Union president Andy Stern come out and forcefully denounce the violence perpetrated in Michigan in the name of the SEIU? Will Stern denounce the hundreds of SEIU members who were bussed in to disrupt the Labor Notes Magazine conference last week? Apparently, even the AFL-CIO has denounced this violence, but will the SEIU president be man enough to crack down on this nonsense?
One cannot help to be skeptical even if he does, however. The thing is, this was a huge, organized attack on the Labor Notes conference. 6 busses were rented, hundreds of SEIU members were contacted and brought together to get into those 6 busses. This was not just an “accident.” It was planned from the start to be a violent affair.
Obviously Stern has passed from mere political leader to insurrectionist thug here. How far will it go before the SEIU tosses him out on his rear end?
SEIU prez Stern has stacked locals with his own guys and required loyalty oaths. And his supporters have even resorted to stalking and harassing opponents in the CNA.
So, how much undemocratic, unAmerican thuggery can one union take and still claim to be interested in legitimately representing the people they claim as members? And, if the members themselves end up being revealed as supporting this sort on violence, what does that say about them? Are they any different than al Qaeda at that point?
(More info at Jamie Court’s blog at the Huffington Post)
» Filed Under Economy, News, Socialism, Union Mafias/Thugs
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3 Responses to “SEIU Storms Conference, Injures Visitors”
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This happened in Dearborn, Michigan, and the Detroit papers reported nothing?
The Dearborn police filed no charges and the Dearborn police sargeant on the incident said “It’s definitely been blown way out of proportion, … Once police arrived, they left without any problem… It was done within minutes, and I don’t know why it’s been blown out of proportion as it has.”
Looks like the answer to that question is for spin purposes.
Papers do not print all the news; they pick and choose, often for political reasons. The SEIU is a powerful organization, period.
I was there, saw what looked like 100-150 SEIU folks come rushing towards the door, chanting, pushing, shoving, throwing people around trying to get into the ballroom filled with 850 unionists. I saw Diane Feeley’s blood coming down her face.
Had the SEIU crowd broken through the line of defenders, there would have been chaos, many hurt, and damage to the largest gathering of union activists and reformers, including from about 15 other countries.
It happened, like it or not. While the SEIU pr release calls it a demonstration, it was an assault aimed at intimidating both the CNA and all those attending for having CNA speakers.