Massachusetts Holds Teamsters Local 25 Accountable

The Boston Globe yesterday posted the indictment of five members of Teamsters Local 25 for their attempts at shutting down a film crew in the Boston Area.

Some excerpts from the Indictment:

Company A was not a signatory to any collective bargaining agreement with Local 25. Company A hired its own employees (“the Crew”), including drivers, to produce and participate in the filming of the show and did not need any work performed by Local 25.

…On or about June 9, 2014, an individual from the Omni Parker House notified Company A that, despite their prior agreement, the Omni Parker House would no longer permit Company A to use its location to film because the hotel did not want to be associated with a Local 25 picket. As a result, Company A found a new location for filming outside the City of Boston.

…Restaurant A is a restaurant located in Milton, Massachusetts. At around 9:00 a.m. on June 10,2014, defendants REDMOND, HARRINGTON, JOHN FIDLER (“FIDLER”), ROBERT CAFARELLI (“CAFARELLI”) and RICHARD JEFFREY (“JEFFREY”) showed up at Restaurant A. REDMOND, HARRINGTON, FIDLER, CAFARELLI and JEFFREY are all members of Local 25. Two or three of the defendants entered the production area and began walking in lockstep toward the doors of the restaurant where they chest-bumped and stomach bumped Crew members in an attempt to forcibly enter the restaurant.

Throughout the morning, the defendants continued to use and threaten to use physical violence against members of the Crew and others. The defendants yelled profanities and racial and homophobic slurs at the Crew and others. The defendants blocked vehicles from the entryway to the set and used actual physical violence and threats of physical violence to try and prevent people from entering the set. On one occasion, the defendants prevented a food delivery truck from delivering food. The defendants were also observed by the Crew standing in close proximity to cars belonging to the Crew, nine of which were later found to have had their tires slashed.

Unions have a place in America when they act within the law. This sort of behavior is simply unacceptable. Unfortunately there are unions who do this sort of thing during election campaigns. While working on a campaign in Massachusetts, I encountered union political activists that blocked supporters of other candidates from entering the parking lot of a building where a candidates’ debate was held. I also witnessed attempts to intimidate supporters of the candidates the union did not support.

I have no problem with protest. I have no problem with picketing, but I do have a problem with threatening people and damaging their property. Unfortunately, if these men are sent to jail, the union will support their families while they are away, and they will pay no lasting penalty for their misdeeds. The men involved need to be required to make serious restitution for the tires they slashed and any other property they damaged. If that happens, it will come from union funds, but it still needs to happen.

Greater Boston Tea Party Statement On The Supreme Court’s Ruling On The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act

Greater Boston Tea Party statement on the Supreme Court’s ruling

on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

 We are extremely disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which will allow the Obama administration to move forward in implementing its radical policy that violates our constitutional right of individual Liberty.  We have opened the door to a government that sees no limit to the amount of freedoms it can take away.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and its accompanying “tax”, represents an egregious affront to liberty, and is opposed by Americans of all political persuasions.  “We will redouble our efforts to educate and inform political activists of threat to individual Liberty this policy represents,” said Greater Boston Tea Party President Christine Morabito. “We were told repeatedly this is not a tax. We expect Congress to act immediately to block seizing funds from American citizens to pay for a political whim.”

People who believe in preserving and protecting constitutional principles will continue the fight to repeal any policy that would tax individuals in order to pay for a product deemed a civil right based on political ideology. The Greater Boston Tea party will continue our efforts to petition Congress to repeal this devastating policy, which undermines our individual Liberty.  We will continue to educate activists as to their constitutional rights and how to defend those rights. If we do not stand up and make our voices heard, it is only a matter of time before our remaining liberties come under direct assault.

Now is the time to act! Leaders in Congress are already calling for a vote to repeal the act in early July. Call Congress and demand a repeal of this law. 202-225-3121 Forward this email to family and friends and tell them to do the same!

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