Injunctions attack democratic rights of Verizon strikers

[Donnachaidh]

http://wsws.org/articles/2011/aug2011/veri-a19.shtml

An examination of the injunctions leveled against the Verizon strikers shows that they undermine core democratic rights of the workers. They go far beyond addressing the unsubstantiated charges of "sabotage" that the company, abetted by the media, has leveled in order to justify its strike-breaking operations.

In addition to clauses prohibiting workers from “threatening, obstructing, intimidating, or harassing” Verizon employees or contractors, the injunctions bar legal assembly and the distribution of printed material.

In New York for instance, the injunction limits the numbers of picketers based on the number of strikebreakers who are working at a particular site. A worksite with 25 strikebreakers can have at most six pickets; a location with 50 strikebreakers can have ten pickets; a location with 100 strikebreakers only 15 pickets, and so on.

In Pennsylvania, a cookie cutter injunction used in several counties limits pickets to six, and they must be 15 feet away from the door. The injunction goes on to make illegal the “videotaping, photographing, or recording in any manner, the likeness of any individual at any worksite of any Verizon employee or contractor performing company work.” This would include portrayals of Verizon top management.

More at the link --

[Orrex]

1. In a broad sense, I suppose that these injunctions are better than a truncheon to the skull

But it's still pretty sickening.

Thank god our elected officials are working so hard to protect us against the evil forces of nominally organized labor.

[TexasProgresive]

2. I wonder is that would include union sympathizers.

Those who are not Verizon employees but support the strikers- Could this come under free speech?

Follow this link to learn more about the strike and to give support to the families.

[dmosh42]

3. Those judges are well paid off to issue these injunctions.....

This is the state of the American justice system, another rigged pile of shit!

[socialist_n_TN]

4. This is what you get in the judicial system in the

dictatorship of capital. EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING, is set up to benefit the owner class. IF any law or interpretation of a law benefits the working class, it's either an accident, something that also benefits the owners, OR a desperate attempt to buy off the workers to keep them from doing something WORSE to the owners. THAT'S what the "law" IS in the capitalist system. The rights of property ALWAYS trump the rights of people.

That's why if you're on the side of the people, it's almost a given that at some point you're going to be breaking the law. You might as well get used to it.

[Brickbat]

5. Why anyone follows these injunctions is beyond me. Seriously. They should be FLOODING those

sidewalks, and everyone should be carrying a camera to record everything they see. Not even for intimidation -- just to show how stupid it all is. If they're going to push, push back, and push harder! It's not hard to show how stupid these things are! But it is easy to shrug and say, "Oh, illegal now? Oh, OK. Who's on the first shift of 15 marchers?"

[amborin]

7. +1

[lpbk2713]

6. "Bill of Rights?? ... What's that??"

They couldn't be any more blatant.

Once again, the powers that be take sides with big mega business.