40 police in riot gear in Somerville, Massachusetts, were called in yesterday to break up a Teamsters picket that threatened to disrupt the city’s trash pick up.

"Officers were pelted with stones," (City Spokesman Tom) Champion said, "and our police officials reported that a small but very vocal group of demonstrators was abusive and confrontational and exhibited violence."

The company’s owner, Charles Carneglia, said the push was part of an effort to force unwanted unionization on employees, and that:

"The union guys were trying to bully them not to go to work," he said.

Carneglia claims one union operative slashed his pants with a knife during the confrontation. Watch video of a news story about the incident here.

This ugly incident shows the lengths to which some union officials will go to impose unionization on employees regardless of their wishes.