The Wisconsin unions are using threats of boycotts against businesses. The letter at the link is Exhibit A in why government employees should never have been allowed to unionize. The idea of firefighters and law enforcement signing on to letters threatening businesses ought to disturb everyone.
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“The idea of firefighters and law enforcement signing on to letters threatening businesses ought to disturb everyone.”
“Nice place you have here…sure be a shame if it burned down/got robbed…”
This is an extortionate threat by the public safety unions and their officers who signed the letter. It is also Racketeering if the letter was sent in the mail. See 18 United States Code section 1951 (Hobbs Act), and 18 USC 1961 (RICO).
http://www.justice.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/title9/131mcrm.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobbs_Act
http://www.ricoact.com/ricoact/theact.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RICO
If these rumors of extortion are true,the public unions of Wisconsin
need to be prosecuted under the RICO act, the same as organized crime.
This country was founded on boycotts – the Stamp Act boycott, etc. Boycotts are a Constutionally protected First Amendment activity.
But extortion is also a crime, and here the police and fire unions are making implied threats of denial, through unduly slow responses, of their official services to business the boycott threats are made too. THAT is criminal extortion.
It’s normal politics for any other union. But it is criminal extortion coming from police and fire unions.
This is also a reason why police and fire unions should not be allowed to bargain with their employers for anything.