Richard Trumka

Legacy of Big Labor Violence: A Growing Problem

Anthony Riedel — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:58:53 -0400

As previously reported on the Freedom@Work blog, union militants are certainly making headlines of late using violent tactics and vandalism to prove their point.

Stunningly, union thugs in Michigan may have taken this to the next level last week when John King, owner of King Electrical Services, was reportedly shot by a union goon spraying the word "scab" on the side of his car in the driveway.

Of course this should surprise no one familiar with the violent legacy of Big Labor, including that of AFL-CIO union boss Richard Trumka. But for good measure, the Investor's Business Daily (IBD) opined today about union bosses' reliance on violence to get their way:

Workers' Rights Are At Stake in Labor Battles Nationwide, But Not in the Way Union Bosses Claim

Anthony Riedel — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:28:21 -0400

Last week, Mark Mix, President of National Right to Work, pointed out in Investor's Business Daily that the real issue in the ongoing battles between Big Labor and reform-minded public officials in various states across the country is getting lost in the union bosses' self-serving rhetoric.

As Mix notes, given the media coverage of the battle in Wisconsin:

AFL-CIO Czar Trumka: Card Check Forced Unionism Will Pass

Nick Cote — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:35:42 -0500

Last week, AFL-CIO union czar Richard Trumka (download the Foundation's Fact Sheet on his history of condoning union violence and corruption) made headlines by predicting that the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill will pass in early 2010. The heated debate over the health care overhaul legislation has kept the public eye off this other union boss power grab for a few months, but Trumka's prediction makes it clear Big Labor's high command haven't forgotten about their highest priority.

The Card Check Forced Unionism Bill would effectively eliminate workers' right to a secret ballot in workplace unionization drives and replace it with overt union intimidation:

Incoming AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka's Ugly History of Violence and Corruption

Nick Cote — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:14:38 -0400

At this week’s AFL-CIO national convention, Richard Trumka is expected to be elected president of the nation’s largest union umbrella organization. The National Right to Work Foundation has prepared a Fact Sheet about Trumka’s record of militancy and disregard for the rule of law.

As president of the United Mine Workers (UMW) union, Trumka led multiple violent strikes. Trumka’s fiery rhetoric often appeared to condone militancy and violence, especially against workers who dared to continue to provide for their families by working during a strike. As a Virginia judge ruled in 1989, "violent activities are being organized, orchestrated and encouraged by the leadership of this union."