House Votes to End Labor Threats
The Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association
225 State Street Harrisburg, PA 17101
717.232.0737
www.pamanufacturers.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David N. Taylor
717.232.0737
[email protected]
House Votes to End Stalking, Harassment, and Terroristic Threats in Labor Disputes
April 22, 2015 – (HARRISBURG, PA) The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed House Bill 874, sponsored by Judiciary Chairman Ron Marsico (R-105), yesterday afternoon with a vote count of 109 to 84. The Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association thanks those 109 members who voted affirmatively to end the crimes code carveout that today allows parties to a labor dispute to stalk, harass, and make deadly threats.
While the vast majority of businesses and unions in Pennsylvania operate honestly and peacefully, some have used these unacceptable tactics to intimidate and extort. The most recent examples have been brought to light by the federal indictment and federal conviction of Ironworkers Local 401.
Leaders and members were charged with multiple crimes related to the December 2012 burning and vandalism of a Quaker meetinghouse construction site in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia. Dozens of other incidents are also depicted in the unnerving 2012 federal indictment where acts of harassment and confrontational visits at the work site ended in violence and destruction of property. The federal indictment indicated that almost every outlined incident started with harassment, unwelcome visits to jobsites, and direct threats. Had law enforcement been able to successfully intervene at an earlier time, the end result may have been drastically different.
No one, management or labor, should be able to lawfully utilize the tactics of harassment, stalking, or threatening. What starts as harassment and threatening often escalates to violence and destruction of property. Our current laws perpetuate this cycle and to change the culture, we must first change the laws.
To their eternal shame, Pennsylvania’s union bosses seek to hold on to their power to stalk, harass, and make terroristic threats during labor disputes: http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=5918
We now look forward to prompt Senate action to eliminate this exemption, ensuring Pennsylvania’s worksites are safer tomorrow than they are today.
For more information, view this episode of PMA Perspective on this topic: https://vimeo.com/channels/pmaperspective/120370832
