Union Thuggery

Townhall.com is reporting that United States District Judge Claude Hilton, acting in the eastern district of Virginia, has ruled that the French-based food service and facilities management company Sodexo can proceed with an extortion claim against the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

The union is accused of using its close ties to the Obama Administration to harass the company.  Sodexo is a non-union company where only 18,000 of the company’s 98,000 qualified employees have chosen to join the SEIU.  The company is charging the SEIU with attempting to unlawfully unionize employees and increase revenue in violation of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

According to the article:

“According to the National Legal and Policy Center only 18,000 of the company’s 98,000 qualified employees have chosen to join the SEIU. In retaliation, says the NLPC, the union has carried out a campaign of intimidation that includes:

  • threw plastic roaches onto food at a high-profile event catered by Sodexo;
  • scared hospital patients by insinuating that Sodexo food contained bugs, rat droppings, mold and flies;
  • sneaked into elementary schools to avoid security;
  • violated lobbying laws to steer business away from the company; and
  • threatened Sodexo USA employees with public exposure of alleged wrongdoing.”

Obviously, if the charges are true, the SEIU is breaking the law. 

The article concludes:

“On July 1st the Competitive Enterprise Institute published the SEIU’s plan “to launch a national campaign of economic strong-arming and sabotage. Their plan envisions mortgage and student loan strikes and bank boycotts. Also contemplated are acts of harassment and intimidation directed against bank officials, corporate heads and public officials deemed to be enemies of the people.”

“So if indeed the SEIU has been guilty of illegal activities such as using government influence to threaten or intimidate companies or individuals, the question is how much does the Obama administration know and how high does it go?”    

The Obama administration is one whose election was financed by unions; therefore, it is not unusual that they would expect something in return.  However, it would be nice if they showed some respect for the law.