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Union 'Thugs' Indicted For Burning Down Quaker Meetinghouse That Employed Non Union Workers
TownHall ^ | 2/22/14 | Barkoukis

Posted on 02/22/2014 5:48:29 AM PST by mgist

The federal government indicted several union members on Tuesday for burning down a Quaker meetinghouse in 2012. Why? Because it was employing non-union workers, of course.

Ten members of Philadelphia’s Ironworkers Local 401 were charged with “allegedly participating in a conspiracy to commit criminal acts of extortion, arson, destruction of property, and assault in order to force construction contractors to hire union ironworkers,” the FBI statement reads. “Eight of the 10 individuals named in the indictment are charged with conspiring to use Ironworkers Local 401 as an enterprise to commit criminal acts. … The indictment details incidents in which the defendants threatened or assaulted contractors or their employees and damaged construction equipment and job sites as part of a concerted effort to force contractors to hire and pay Local 401 workers, even when those workers performed no function. Among the criminal acts set forth in the indictment is the December 2012 arson of a Quaker Meetinghouse under construction in Philadelphia.”

In an effort to distance themselves from allegations of violence, the union used a network of individuals ‘friendly’ to Ironworkers Local 401 that helped identify construction projects and job sites that were not using Local 401 members.

“The indictment alleges that business agents would approach construction foremen at those work sites and imply or explicitly threaten violence, destruction of property or other criminal acts unless union members were hired. The defendants relied on a reputation for violence and sabotage, which had been built up in the community over many years, in order to force contractors to hire union members,” the statement continues.

And they truly were union thugs. One of the ‘goon squads’ the defendants used, which consisted of union members and associates, called themselves THUGs—an acronym for “The Helpful Union Guys”.

Using violence, intimidation, extortion, and other crimes to further union goals will not be tolerated, the FBI said, and they’re hoping this indictment will serve as a warning to other unions.

“The strong-arm tactics we have seen in this case are outrageous and brazen—and an unfortunate blow to the worthy intentions of unionism,” Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Hanko said. “The fight for workers’ rights may sometimes call for tough tactics, but violence, intimidation, arson, and sabotage are crimes which won’t be tolerated. This investigation has been wide-ranging, but it is far from over. Now that this indictment has been unsealed, we expect to hear from more victims and will aggressively pursue all other leads we receive.”


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism
KEYWORDS: unionthugs
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1 posted on 02/22/2014 5:48:29 AM PST by mgist
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To: mgist

Tis is what happens in Venezuela


2 posted on 02/22/2014 5:48:58 AM PST by mgist (.)
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To: mgist

Unions - the terrorist arm of the democrat party


3 posted on 02/22/2014 5:51:57 AM PST by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
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To: mgist

I guess the heat was too much for Holder not to charge the thugs. Being found not guilty is probably already baked into the cake.


4 posted on 02/22/2014 5:53:43 AM PST by DAC21
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To: 2banana

How did this get by Eric Holder?

There’s a federal prosecutor in a heap of trouble now.


5 posted on 02/22/2014 5:55:35 AM PST by LibertyOh
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To: mgist

Union thugs and goons - and that is how they describe themselves!

I am so glad in closed shop states that people are FORCED to join unions and pay union dues as a CONDITION of employment.

I am so glad unions are the LARGEST political money contributors in America.

And I am so glad they give 99% of that money to democrats.

Why?


6 posted on 02/22/2014 5:57:04 AM PST by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
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To: DAC21

The fix is in.


7 posted on 02/22/2014 5:57:09 AM PST by Navy Patriot (Join the Democrats, it's not Fascism when WE do it, and the Constitution and law mean what WE say.)
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To: mgist

Union thugs and goons - and that is how they describe themselves!

I am so glad in closed shop states that people are FORCED to join unions and pay union dues as a CONDITION of employment.

I am so glad unions are the LARGEST political money contributors in America.

And I am so glad they give 99% of that money to democrats.

Why?


8 posted on 02/22/2014 5:57:30 AM PST by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
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To: mgist
The federal government indicted several union members on Tuesday for burning down a Quaker meetinghouse in 2012

This must be what got them in real trouble. If they had skipped this arson they would probably still be out burning and beating people

9 posted on 02/22/2014 5:57:31 AM PST by dennisw (The first principle is to find out who you are then you can achieve anything -- Buddhist monk)
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To: mgist

Anti-freedom, anti-individual collective of the U.S.A - United Socialists of America.

The justice department will go after them, the IRS can harass them and the NSA can tap their phones or drone them.

Watch out Quakers!


10 posted on 02/22/2014 5:57:31 AM PST by PGalt
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To: mgist


11 posted on 02/22/2014 5:57:53 AM PST by JoeProBono (SOME IMAGES MAY BE DISTURBING VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED;-{)
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To: mgist

THUGS picking on the Quakers....nice. Why aren’t unions subject to RICO indictments?


12 posted on 02/22/2014 6:05:30 AM PST by txrefugee
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To: mgist

They’re really brave and bold, burning down a Quaker house of worship. They ought to try that on a mosque.


13 posted on 02/22/2014 6:06:13 AM PST by Fiji Hill
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To: mgist

Arson against crackers???

===> This was absolutely Holder-approved,
and probably even crafted within
his racist, murderous (eg.Fast&Furious) DO”J”


14 posted on 02/22/2014 6:15:07 AM PST by Diogenesis
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To: mgist

They torched a construction apt site across from my apt on 3rd street in hilly in 1986 or so. The old building was like a rat trap. People and dogs were pulled out of the third floor windows. The heat was so intense it woke me up across the street and burned away some the limestone archways. I jumped out of bed from a dream of being at a bonfire, grabbed my wallet, put on some clothes and got out of my building.


15 posted on 02/22/2014 6:15:58 AM PST by kvanbrunt2
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To: mgist

Tis, what happens.


16 posted on 02/22/2014 6:24:06 AM PST by Linda Frances (Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.)
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To: 2banana
....terrorist arm of the democrat party

Yep, unions and inner city black gangs...

17 posted on 02/22/2014 6:29:59 AM PST by GOPJ ( America's drifting into totalitarianism because the left's exploitation of social failures.Greenfi)
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To: txrefugee
Why aren’t unions subject to RICO indictments?

Three little words, Money, Obama and Holder!

18 posted on 02/22/2014 6:53:20 AM PST by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannoli. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: mgist

United States v. Enmons, 410 U.S. 396 (1973), was a controversial United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that violence, if carried out in furtherance of a labor union’s objectives, does not violate the law according to the extortion and robbery provisions of the federal Anti-Racketeering Act of 1934 or the Hobbs Act.

The case involved a labor strike in which union members fired rifles at three utility company transformers, drained the oil from another, and blew up an entire company substation. The labor union in question was seeking a higher-pay contract and other benefits from their employer, the Gulf States Utilities Company. The Court decided that the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) was immune from prosecution because their violent acts were in pursuit of a legitimate union objective.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Enmons


19 posted on 02/22/2014 6:55:22 AM PST by Rusty0604
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To: mgist

It would be a shame if someone were to start burning down the homes of union officials. An absolute shame.


20 posted on 02/22/2014 7:01:32 AM PST by muir_redwoods (When I first read it, " Atlas Shrugged" was fiction)
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