Wisconsin: WSEU circulating boycott letters

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ^ | 3/30/11 | Don Walker

[Jean S]

Members of Wisconsin State Employees Union, AFSCME Council 24, have begun circulating letters to businesses in southeast Wisconsin, asking them to support workers’ rights by putting up a sign in their windows.

If businesses fail to comply, the letter says, “Failure to do so will leave us no choice but (to) do a public boycott of your business. And sorry, neutral means 'no' to those who work for the largest employer in the area and are union members."

[Gene Eric]

Thugs.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

In other words, help us slice your throat slowly or we’ll do it quickly.

[red tie]

So did the papers post their signs?

[skr]

An anti-union boycott would seem an appropriate response and likely to have a lot more impact.

[Aleya2Fairlie]

Hey Wisconsin! How are you liking this latest union thug tactic? If you don’t comply, I forsee a lot of “accidental” broken knee caps and vanalized store fronts, kind of like they did to your Capital.

Welcome to Obama’s Amerika!

[Keith in Iowa]

A RICO suit may be in the union’s future... or damn well should be.

[aces]

two can play that game, if you are union, we don’t need ya..

[kimoajax]

Sounds like a New York Mob protection racket.

[traditional1]

Put a sign in your window that you support Unions....that way, I KNOW I'll go shop eslewhere.

[texmexis best]

Interesting....the public union is attempting to damage the receipts of the sales tax and income tax.

A good reason to ban public unions.

[cripplecreek]

Gonna make youse an offer you can’t refuse.

[colonialhk]

RICO RICO RRRICO! Prosecute them

[jwalsh07]

Did he say all this while sounding like Marlon Brando?

[tanknetter]

In VA there’s a law against attempting to undermine a legitimately operating business. Sounds like WI lacks a similar law, or the unions feel they can ignore it

[Lazlo in PA]

“Failure to do so will leave us no choice but (to) do a public boycott of your business. And sorry, neutral means 'no' to those who work for the largest employer in the area and are union members."

Big woop. These thugs needed to bus in out of state protestors to make there "Rally" look meaningful. Boycotts by the WSEU will mean little or nothing to businesses. There are just not enough of them in WI to make a difference.

This is the death throws of a toothless dinosaur.

[Drill Thrawl]

or the unions feel they can ignore itLike the EmoRats the unions believe that the laws are for the little people.

[ScottinVA]

Pure thuggery. Next the unionoids will be standing on sidewalks threatening patrons of these businesses.

This is only going to get far worse, especially considering the cops are part of the machinery.

[Dixie Yooper]

In VA there’s a law against attempting to undermine a legitimately operating business.

It doesn't work in Northern VA. Korean-American gangs have been running a protection racket on Korean-American business owners for years throughout that area.

[Gator113]

I wonder how much longer before these Union mobsters will resort to serious violence.

[ScottinVA]

Yep. Thank God unions don`t own the levers of power in this state.

[yadent]

Very true. I would not sell nor provide services to any union member or their families and would encourage others to do likewise.

[fwdude]

Reprehensible. I can’t think of a stronger word now.

[JPG]

Hey, Pal, nice little union ya got there. Sure be a shame if sumptin’ where to happen to it.

[Malone LaVeigh]

[fwdude]

I think the goonions have really stepped in it this time. From the comments at the article site, it seems that even union supporters find this tactic disgusting.

[jtal]

“Judenfrei”

[TwelveOfTwenty]

I don’t want to put Americans out of work, but I’m moving closer to the boycott all unions crowd with every thuggish stunt. This keeps up, and I’ll soon be able to buy a foreign car guilt free, just like most of the the liberals I know already do.

[ridesthemiles]

I sincerely hope that Gov Walker is dusting off the pages of the RICO laws which are applicable to this kind of behavior.

Meanwhile, boycots can turn into BUYcots just as easily, perhaps even more so.

This is just plain extortion.

Gov Walker isn’t easily intimidated.

Hope the thugs in Milwaukee get their just desserts for this action.

[Old North State]

Well, at least they haven't demanded painted Stars of David for the Law's supporters - yet.

[Hunton Peck]

"Dese are my kinda people!"

[Skepolitic]

Nice little business there. Shame if something were to happen to it.

BTW, the cops are supporting the unions in WI.

[Logical me]

AFSCME Council 24 are criminals unlike the Mafia of old. They must be taken down real hard.

[jennings2004]

Remember: “You must display your Star of David at all times!”

[FrankR]

I would put this sign in my window...

NOTICE TO ALL UNION MEMBERS
THIS BUSINESS WILL NOT PROVIDE
PRODUCTS, GOODS, OR SERVICES WITH
ANYONE AFFILIATED WITH THE SEIU OR THE
AFSCME, COUNCIL 24, IN RETALIATION FOR
THREATS AGAINST MY BUSINESS AND MY
LIVELIHOOD BY SAID ORGANIZATIONS FOR
EXERCISING MY FREEDOM OF SPEECH, AND
FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION.

ALSO FOR THE ATTEMPTED RESTRICTIION OF MY
RIGHTS OF COMMERCE, TANTAMOUNT TO
INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE TO SAID ORGANIZATIONS.
ALL THREATS, PHYSICAL OR OTHERWISE WILL BE
RESPONDED TO BY THE POLICE AND FULL CHARGES
OF TERRORISM, AND/OR TRESPASSING WILL BE BROUGHT AGAINST VIOLATORS.

FULL ALARM SYSTEM AND VIDEO
SURVEILANCEARE IN EFFECT.

[Brown Deer]

I will now be watching for those signs in the windows of businesses. If I see one, I will let them know that I will no longer be doing any business with them.

[tanknetter]

It doesn't work in Northern VA. Korean-American gangs have been running a protection racket on Korean-American business owners for years throughout that area.

Yup, I hear you. About 15 years ago my wife and I walked into a Chinese restaurant that was clearly in the process of being shaken down by several Asian gang members.

However, in all cases the level of threat and culture come into play. About 5 years ago I was able to observe a NoVA small businessman (I am a regular patron of his business) use that law to great effect to protect his business against a boycott. Not a perfect match for the situation in WI, but close enough for me to know that if WI had that kind of a law and the willingness to use it on his own behalf, local businesses refusing to pay the unions the requested tribute would have a solid case that they could win on.

[Brad from Tennessee]

The Wisconsin State Chamber of Commerce should file for a restraining order then organize a class action suit against the unions.

[longtermmemmory]

They did this before too.

Seems more jobs could be saved by firing the union bosses.

Save your job, fire the union.

[Carling]

If I lived in WI, I’d make it a point to visit any business I saw with a sign, and tell them that I was not going to be a customer solely because of that sign.

There are a lot more taxpayers than union members, and it wouldn’t be too difficult to have multiple private sector taxpayers visit a store each day.

I imagine the private taxpayer owning the store would get their priorities straight real quick after a week or so of this sort of “boycott”.

[HKMk23]

You left out one line:

WE ARE FULLY ARMED FOR THE PROTECTION OF OUR CUSTOMERS

[Mygirlsmom]

An anti-union boycott would seem an appropriate response and likely to have a lot more impact.

If all the business owners stand together and refuse to be bullied, the union thugs will have nowhere to shop.

[sergeantdave]

“If you don’t comply, I forsee a lot of “accidental” broken knee caps and vanalized store fronts, kind of like they did to your Capital.”

I see the opposite - lots of broken union noses. Union pigs are fat, stupid, slow and can’t duck a punch.

[Mygirlsmom]

Next the unionoids will be standing on sidewalks threatening patrons of these businesses.

That's already happened and then some....buildings have been vandalized as well.

[Mygirlsmom]

I think the goonions have really stepped in it this time. From the comments at the article site, it seems that even union supporters find this tactic disgusting.

Considering it's jsonline, that says a lot! I fondly refer to their "dead tree version" aka the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel as "that Communist Rag". Comments typically run very leftward.

[Carling]

The Communist running for the WISC against Prosser must be polling very, very poorly. This seems like a deep pass with no time left by the unions.

Once Prosser wins, Parrett is toast.

[Joan Kerrey]

This is just plain extortion.

Thank you for using the proper word for this threat. There is a big difference between blackmail and extortion. This is a good example of extortion.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Seriously? Nothing would make me HAPPIER than if the Hippies in ‘The People’s Republik of Madistan’ boycotted my business, LOL!

It takes me an entire day of open doors and windows to get the stink of BO, patchouli, no dental hygiene and pot smoke out of my store! :)

[Hamilcar_Barca]

The union thug’s name is Jim Parrett, ASCME Council 24. Please give him a call at 262-767-0873 or at 262-878-4488.

[prairiebreeze]

Any word on what the sign looks like?