The Temporary Restraining Order brought against SEIU for its aggressive activities against the California Nurses Association leaders and members was described by SEIU as 'an entirely frivolous injunction.'
Andy Stern and Stephen Berzon, his lawyer, two men, want to claim that harassment of single women and mothers with their children at their side is acceptable and that objecting to it is entirely frivolous. Andy Stern and his SEIU want to claim that targeting a female union leader, Rose Ann DeMoro, as the object of a mob of 800 (SEIU's number, in reality it was probably more like 200) is acceptable and objecting to it is entirely frivolous.
The actions of SEIU over the past few weeks toward CNA/NNOC has been intentionally intimidating. Such tactics are old-style union/mobster tactics, not fit for the 21st Century and must be stood up to. Objecting to SEIU's inappropriate aggression is what every union member should be doing. It is not entirely frivolous. Objecting to SEIU's gangster image is what we now need to do to save unionism.
The SEIU press release last Thursday read:
WASHINGTON, April 17, 2008 PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX -- Service Employees International Union taking immediate legal steps to dismiss temporary restraining order filed yesterday by California Nurses Association
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) today announced plans to file a motion to dismiss the temporary restraining order filed yesterday by the California Nurses Association against SEIU President Andy Stern and SEIU.
"This is an entirely frivolous injunction being used for political purposes," said Attorney Stephen Berzon, a partner with Altshuler Berzon LLP, the San Francisco-based law firm handling the case. "The CNA designed their suit to interfere with SEIU's legitimate, constitutionally-protected free speech activity. The CNA ran into court and procured the order without giving SEIU notice or an opportunity to be heard. Once SEIU gets its day in court, this illegal injunction will be overturned very quickly."
Following are the eye witness accounts (check out the various press releases) by registered nurses of the unwanted encounters they have had with SEIU:
...they showed up at our place of residence uninvited chanting they were from another union and another state, and continued to follow us (in our car), knowing I did not want to interact with them. Nobody deserves to be stalked in this manner.
...they actually came to my home, my sanctuary way out in the desert, and involved my family. They degraded me in front of my son as they were pointing a video camera at us. They are trying to intimidate me, but I am not afraid.
I was home alone. Four people were staring at me through the window. When they saw me they started screaming and trying to scare me. I called the police and they ran off.
A neutral observer who was at the Labor Notes Conference gives the following summary of those events:
Ken Paff on adamfreedom's blog states:
It was a weird scene: busloads of SEIU officials and members trying
to bust into a conference of labor progressives –bullying, punching
and chanting in a scene that gave me flashbacks to the Teamster
officialdom of yesteryear.
I had heard that SEIU officials would storm the Labor Notes
conference at its Saturday evening banquet, which would be packed,
long sold-out. It was also the big fundraising event for Labor Notes,
something that the organizers were no doubt quite concerned about. The
SEIU picked that time because Rose Ann DeMoro, head of C.N.A. had been
slated to speak at the banquet.
I told a few friends, including a Labor Notes staffer, that the
reports were probably exaggerated. But the Labor Notes staff took it
seriously, and made a statement at the Saturday morning session,
before Anita Chan and Baldemar Velásquez spoke, that there could be
problems, and appealed to all to debate and discuss contentious
issues, but that no disruptions would be tolerated.
...
At least 3 buses of SEIU officials and members arrived, either all or
mostly from 1199 Ohio. Some SEIU reps and organizers were recognized
by participants. A few in the advance line, at the point of
confrontation, wore bandana masks to avoid ID or pictures, but in at
least one case, an LN participant pulled the mask off the SEIU
official. There were 200 at most. The C.N.A press release said 500,
and the SEIU press release said 800; so the C N A exaggerated, and the
SEIU (they surely knew the number) simply multiplied by four.
They arrived at exterior glass hotel doors near the banquet hall.
They beat on the glass and chanted while hotel staff eyed them from
inside, a bit removed from Labor Notes participants, who were in the
banquet room or still streaming into it.
One of their [SEIU] inside people slipped past the hotel staff and opened
the door from the inside, and they flooded in.
The delay there gave some participants time to organize a thin line
of defense across the three sets of double doors leading into the
banquet hall. The doors were closed and volunteer participants stood
guard at them, some with locked arms. The Labor Notes staff had
recruited a number of these people, including several long time
Teamsters who have seen duty with Teamster thugs.
The advance line of SEIU staffers led the chanting group forward and
pushed and punched and tried to break in, and almost did. My friend
Dan Campbell had his glasses broken from a glancing punch.
...
It was clear that they intended to muscle their way into the crowded
room and disrupt by marching, chanting, encircling, taking over the
podium, etc. In that, they failed. Within minutes they left, chanting
“We’ll be back”
The SEIU press release on this disgraceful disruption was
other-worldly... Their press release was headed “SEIU Members Stand Up for the Future
of the Labor Movement.” Doesn’t seem like a future that I’m interested
in. I saw it in the past, and would like to keep it there.
Objecting to the harassment of women is never frivolous. Objecting to the intimidation and man-handling of workers and labor organizers is never frivolous.
It is the serious duty of all who want to further the position of the American worker to take a stand against Andy Stern's and SEIU's most recent tactics that border on gangster activity. It is our serious duty to stand up and say that intimidation tactics will not be countenanced. Mobs will not be countenanced under the guise that they are rallies or peaceable protests. And finally the harassment of fellow workers is never, ever acceptable.
'Frivolous' my foot! Andy Stern needs to step into the 21st Century.
CNA/NNOC's Temporary Restraining Order against Andy Stern and SEIU was one step in the containment of a bully. I am relieved that they got the order. And am waiting to see what happens when justice is served.