Union Thugs Unhinged

[natesfortune]

UNION THUGS UNHINGED
By Michelle Malkin · October 29, 2005 08:45 AM

Check out this video of not-so-peaceful union protesters in California--here (via the California Republican Party) and at The Political Teen -- mobbing a lone pro-Schwarzenegger woman on Thursday who supports union reform initiatives on next week's ballot.

Even the "security guard" (that's her in the photo below in the middle of the screen with the orange vest) piled on and helped ripped up the poor woman's signs.

I'm sure if it were the other way around, the national network news shows would be running the full video near the top of their broadcasts. But who needs 'em anymore?

Screen shot via The Political Teen :



The California Conservative has the story covered.

Local KCAL9 reporter Carter Evans in Los Angeles:

Lonewacko notes:

So there we have it in living color: the unhinged union Left's whatever-it-takes protectionism. "Whatever" meaning pushing. Shoving. Destroying property.

Squelching free speech. And intimidating women.

The California Republican Party writes:

It's not
the
first
time
we've seen
when angry Democrat mobsters attack.

And remember these images of union thuggery from the 2004 campaign:






Credit: jsonline.com.

I'll have much more next week.

http://www.michellemalkin.com/mt/oct05-tb.cgi/3135

Ah, the "party of peace". What great people...

[Chaos]

eh, no real surprises.

is that black woman in the last photo raising her arm in the Black Panthers "we shall overcome" salute?

[General Zod]

I unfortunately think people in California are for the most part completely ignorant and will wind up voting against this prop because they believe the lies spewed forth on tv. Then again, this is a state that kicked out Grey Davis because he put the state in financial ruin but then turned around and since then has voted in almost every bond measure that's come before them. Most of the folks i've talked to about the upcoming election have told me "the commercials say it's bad, so i'm voting against it". This, I think, is the average intelligence of the California voter. Sheep. And these idiots in the photos above are simply believing whatever their unions tell them. I'd also go out on a limb and bet there's not a single republican in the "mob scene". What're my bets?

[Ranger]

Now this is just low. Telling people to cash in charity donations even if they didn't suffer a loss and cheapening Red Cross aid to 'gift cards'.

BR police union memo told officers to get aid

By PENNY BROWN ROBERTS
proberts@theadvocate.com
Advocate staff writer

The Baton Rouge police union encouraged its members and their families to apply for American Red Cross hurricane benefits "whether you sustained a loss, or not," an internal memo obtained last week shows.

The Sept. 19 notice sent via Baton Rouge Police Department e-mail refers to the charity's financial assistance debit cards for Hurricane Katrina victims as "gift cards," and insists they were a special benefit for union members.

"If you live in one of the attached ZIP Codes you need to go by the Electrical Workers local Hall and get your Red Cross gift card, by Saturday 9/24/05," says the memo, which was obtained through a Louisiana public records request. "You get the gift card whether you sustained a loss, or not, do (sic) to the storm, as a result of you being in B.R.U.P. Local 237."

The memo adds that immediate family "also qualifies for the gift card if they live in a separate residence from you in one of the listed Zip Codes (father, mother, brother, sister, aunt, uncle)."

After the hurricane, the American Red Cross set up a site at the Electrical Workers Local Union 995 Hall, 8181 Tom Drive, to provide financial assistance to those who lost their homes or belongings to Hurricane Katrina

American Red Cross spokeswoman Jenifer Sweat said the emergency debit cards were intended to buy food, clothing and shelter for those who lived in hurricane-ravaged parishes, and were not "gift cards."

She said the charity set up the site through its government and labor liaison, but never offered special benefits to the Baton Rouge Police Department union nor any other special-interest organization.

"We're not here for any special group or to discriminate against others," Sweat said. "We do not do something like that special for a union. What we do is assist with emergency needs for those who have been affected. If indeed they were affected, then they were eligible to fill out an application form just like everyone else who was affected."

The Red Cross did not have statistics on the number of Baton Rouge police officers who sought financial aid. Sweat said the agency still is trying to determine how to handle reports of those who obtained disaster-relief assistance even though they may have experienced no loss.

Police Union President Cpl. Craig Russell said the memo was "an e-mail poorly written and sent out by a tired and overworked police officer.

"Nothing about being affiliated with the union entitled officers to anything more or anything less than any other hurricane victim," Russell said. "On face value, it could be taken out of context. But I'm sure it was written by a tired guy and did not go through our normal procedure of being proofread."

When asked why the memo encourages officers to apply for benefits even if they lost nothing, Russell said it was possibly a "poorly written" attempt to explain eligibility requirements.

"Many people had questions about what type of losses were eligible, or whether or not they had losses," he said. "I assume that's what he was trying to do. Many losses qualify under Red-Cross criteria."

The memo directs recipients with questions to call Chris Stewart, who is assigned to the Police Department's felony theft division, and Timmy Browning. Neither could be located last week for comment.

A subsequent memo sent two days later informs union members that the Red Cross assistance office at 8181 Tom Drive was closed "due to an overwhelming number of people visiting the office." It said the AFL-CIO and the police union executive board were trying to secure a new site "for UNION MEMBERS only and their IMMEDIATE family." There's no record of whether that new site ever materialized.

Baton Rouge Police Chief Jeff LeDuff declined last week through a spokesman to comment on the union memo. He did not respond to a question on whether the agency is investigating the matter.

U.S. Attorney David Dugas on Friday would "neither confirm nor deny" whether the Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force is conducting its own review.

The task force -- based in Baton Rouge -- investigates all hurricane-related crimes, including charity fraud, identity theft, disaster-assistance fraud and insurance fraud.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office began its own investigation into the matter late last week after discovering one of its own deputies submitted a "very questionable" application to the American Red Cross, Col. Greg Phares said Friday.

The deputy -- whom Phares would not name -- has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation.

Phares also declined to comment on specifics or the scope of the investigation into Red Cross benefits for law-enforcement officers.

"It's the position of the Sheriff's Office that our people don't take aid unless they have suffered a loss," he said.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/..._memo001.shtml

[grundle]

Initiating violence against innocent people is wrong.

Most union members don't do that.

But it's a shame that the unions don't have more public criticism of their members who do do that.

Stuff like this can only give people a bad opinion about unions.

Unions were a lot better in the old days, when they tried to protect 8 year old boys and girls from going down mine shafts, and from getting their arms chopped off in factories. I liked unions a lot better when they protected people from violence, instead of causing the violence.

[classicman2]

Remember when corporations hired thugs to attempt to keep workers from organizing?

[nemein]

Originally Posted by classicman2

Remember when corporations hired thugs to attempt to keep workers from organizing?

Not personally Does that excuse/explain the behavior of these people now though?

[kvrdave]

Originally Posted by classicman2

Remember when corporations hired thugs to attempt to keep workers from organizing?

Ah yes, the old "we can excuse this because of what others may have done back in the past that only I am old enough to remember" tactic.

Democrats often only support free speech if it is the "correct" free speech. And they think they have a monopoly on showing up at events with a dissenting voice. Those doing so at their events will be crushed.

[classicman2]

The use of baseball bats by corporation thugs to beat workers over the head is not an exercise in free speech.

[AGuyNamedMike]

It's all the corporations' fault. Since the corporations STOPPED hiring them, the thugs needed to join the unions and get real jobs so they could keep paying rent.

[wendersfan]

Originally Posted by nemein

Not personally

But you've seen Matewan, right?

Growing up in an area where the UAW ranked as high as the 12 Apostles in the public estimation, tales of violence against union members were told to me and my friends as bedtime stories.

[nemein]

Growing up in an area where the UAW ranked as high as the 12 Apostles in the public estimation, tales of violence against union members were told to me and my friends as bedtime stories.

Well growing up in a conservative household my bedtime stories were about the greedy unions (w/ their ties to organized crime) and how they implemented a campaign of extortion/intimidation against the innocent businessman who was only trying to give them a job and maybe make a little money.

Or atleast that's what I suspect some around here believe

[CRM114]

Michelle Malkin evidently should return to playing with her Barbies if she thinks this is newsworthy.

Was this a Union protest? And an opponent was stupid enough to go into it? And Malkin thinks this is news?

Ms. Malkin should attend a Philadelphia Eagles game with a Dallas Cowboys shirt on one time.

Run along and play now, Michelle.

[CRM114]

Originally Posted by kvrdave

Democrats often only support free speech if it is the "correct" free speech. And they think they have a monopoly on showing up at events with a dissenting voice. Those doing so at their events will be crushed.

Balderdash! This has nothing to do with "Democrats." This was a Union matter and unions historically take matters into their own hands. Thus the concept U-N-I-O-N.

[classicman2]

Originally Posted by nemein

Well growing up in a conservative household my bedtime stories were about the greedy unions (w/ their ties to organized crime) and how they implemented a campaign of extortion/intimidation against the innocent businessman who was only trying to give them a job and maybe make a little money.

Or atleast that's what I suspect some around here believe

You now realize that throughout the history of the worker movement that the company thugs have responsible for most of the real violence, don't you?

[nemein]

Originally Posted by classicman2

You now realize that throughout the history of the worker movement that the company thugs have responsible for most of the real violence, don't you?

According to your bedtime stories maybe

Seriously talk of unions and what not really wasn't a big thing in my house growing up. Neither of my parents belonged to one and while I think one of my grandfathers may have it wasn't that big of a deal either way.

I'll ask again though (since you seemed to have missed it ), does this behavior in the distant past excuse/explain the behavior of these people now?

[CRM114]

Originally Posted by nemein

I'll ask again though (since you seemed to have missed it ), does this behavior in the distant past excuse/explain the behavior of these people now?

What behavior? "These" people? Dude, read the newspapers. Nonsense like this happens all the time and not just in Unions. I already alluded to 8 Sundays at Lincoln Financial Field.

Union people are tough people - and not the best educated. There are other ways to voice a protest other than walking into a union rally with a "Unions Suck" sign. Its called common sense.

[nemein]

c-man's post seems to be stating though that because of the actions of certain people in the past actions now should be overlooked. Maybe I'm reading too much into it (in making the connection I did) or maybe I'm not reading enough into (in the sense he's also supporting this "nonsense like this happens all the time and not justi in Unions"). Overall I agree w/ you and people are going to people. Few people like dissent and when you're in the majority it's easy to squash the minority. Not the type of society we really want and are trying to develop, but that's life. So maybe a better way to phrase the question to c-man would be to ask what relevance those past events have on today/this news item?

[natesfortune]

There is tons of web video of Republicans being attacked by Democrats in crowds. I haven't found any the other way around. I'm sure there is something, but its far, far more prevalent the other way, with the "peaceful" left.

[classicman2]

It's simply a response to the union bashing that we see on this forum from our right-wing members.

I see precious little criticism from those same members when it comes to corporations.

I wonder why? I'm just kidding. I really know why.

[kvrdave]

Maybe because you are talking about some era when baseball bats were used that nobody else remembers.

[classicman2]

And some of you right-wingers choose not to remember.

[kvrdave]

If it is before the 70s, I couldn't if I tried.