I think this article does not go far enough to explain what other measures the company has tried in order to get people to SHOW UP AT THEIR JOBS. If I was the business owner, I'd fire them for being in violation of company policies and deal with the union later. Perhaps this has been tried, we don't have enough information. I just know that absenteeism and misuse of FMLA laws is a huge problem for companies. Worker productivity can grind to a halt.
Chinese handcuffs.