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Joe the Plumber Targeted by Card Check Goons at Rally
In a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Tuesday appearance on the state capitol steps to oppose the "Employee Free Choice Act" or "card check" Joe the Plumber, AKA Joe Wurzelbacher, was jeered and heckled by members of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO. The union members were bused in at the order of union president William M. George. A radio on one union bus was deliberately cranked up to try and drown out Wurzelbacher.
"Rat! Rat! Rat!" the angry union members yelled as Wurzelbacher attempted to speak.
The dramatic event captured local headlines and filled local television screens. It had the ironic impact of vividly underscoring the point opponents have been making of the bill, that removing the secret ballot from workers asked to decide whether they wish to join a union would open them to acts of intimidation. In a front-page story by reporter Laura Vecsey the Harrisburg Patriot-News described the rally appearance by the union members as a "display of union anger, intimidation and outrage that helps make the point that strong-arm tactics are the reason union organizing activity should be done by secret ballot," a point made by Americans for Prosperity president Tim Phillips. AFP was a rally sponsor, along with Pennsylvania Right to Work.
According to the news account, union boss George had ordered union-owned buses to "haul carpenters, sheet-metal workers, Teamsters, steel workers and, yes, ‘real’ licensed plumbers" from an area union hall. When questioned, one vocal union protestor identified himself as "Bill Smith" and refused to say where he worked. Others identified themselves as members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local 143, while a leather jacketed man with the words "steel workers organizer" emblazoned on the back of his jacket was seen working the crowd.
The rally was originally intended to persuade U.S. Senator Arlen Specter to oppose card check. In an announcement several days ago, Specter said he would do just that.
Ironically, Wurzelbacher began his remarks by noting his support for unions. "Let me start off right now by saying I’m not against unions. Not at all. Unions have made America strong, no doubt. I have a brother and other family members who are union members and they tell me they want to work their 40 hours and go home without coercion or intimidation."
The union organizers would have none of it.
Wurzelbacher drove to Harrisburg from his home in Toledo, Ohio, and returned after the rally. In his pickup truck.
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Pingback| 4.1.09 @ 11:40AM
Joe the Plumber Targeted by Card Check Goons at Rally — But As For Me links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
hmm_contrib| 4.1.09 @ 12:44PM
And by "goons", you mean union workers, I assume? Amazing how free speech gets parsed: tea party attendees are patriots ala the founding fathers, but union workers are always thugs.
For those who want to see how well "Joe" acquitted himself on policy , as well as how he answered questions on corporate intimidation and coercion, something which right-wing blogs such as this one always forget to discuss or stack up against labor coercion (coercion again being defined as "talking, showing up, and exercising free speech while wearing scary jackets," apparently), see the video.
Jeffrey Lord| 4.1.09 @ 12:53PM
hmm...
Ahhh... there is a pretty obvious difference here. The Tea Party protestors were not showing up at someone else's rally with the objective of shutting them up by "jeering" "heckling" and trying to drown out the speaker by blaring the radio at high decibels. Joe the Plumber showed up to speak his peace...and organized labor sent "union members" in a deliberate attempt to keep him from speaking. This speaks volumes. If it's OK to try and intimidate someone of some prominence on the steps of a state capitol in broad daylight...what in the world will be done to some guy who has the brass to say "no" to a union organizer when no TV cameras are around? There's nothing wrong with unions, as Joe said. There's everything wrong with intimidation. And yes, people who try that kind of stunt are "goons" - union members or not.
Big Leo| 4.1.09 @ 2:32PM
I watched the clip and called a friend in Harrisburg who saw the rally. The union people acted like goons. They sounded like goons. They blustered and intimidated and tried to drown out the speaker like goons. That pretty much defines goon, don't you think?
Ran| 4.1.09 @ 3:00PM
Mr. Lord,
Annnny chance that the "free choice" legislation also has language preventing secret ratification votes (and the like) once unions have been formed?
Unionizing is one thing. Keeping the rank-and-file in-step with the Union brass is something else. There's no sense gaining a lot of loose cannons and then having no way to tie them down.
I haven't read EFCA yet. Have the rank-and-file? What, is it reasonable to expect that workers' rights to secrecy and dignity will be suddenly restored once they've become unionized?
So - what else is in the language?
Angel| 4.1.09 @ 3:08PM
I wonder if Joe the Plumber still loves the unions; they sure don't love him. I wonder where the union goons were hiding their baseball bats and crowbars. Employee FREE CHOICE Act, my rear end--more like FORCED CHOICE. You can't be civil with thugs.
hmm_contrib| 4.1.09 @ 4:02PM
"someone else's rally" ? So now the Capitol itself, where the laws are made, belongs to conservatives, huh? Joe was paid to deliver talking points; the union came to deliver theirs. No one owns the public square, people. I love when modern "conservatives" prove how thin their skins are these days; "they're arguing with me in public; the goons are violating my rally!"
No one in the thread even acknowledged the existence (again) of corporate/big business intimidation and coercion, which is why this legislation is needed. I assume that everyone here is pretending that it doesn't exist? Or just never heard of it?
Dan| 4.1.09 @ 4:03PM
As I understand it from independent sources (not AS), Joe was quizzed on the proposed bill and had to admit that he hasn't read it, and knows nothing about it. That kinda makes Joe the Goon for being paid to campaign against something he admits he knows nothing about, no?
Sparky| 4.1.09 @ 4:08PM
Nah, the morons trying to shout Joe down are the goons. Let Joe speak, maybe you'll learn something. Free Speech--ever heard of it? Only goons don't see this.
Ran| 4.1.09 @ 8:03PM
"No one in the thread even acknowledged the existence (again) of corporate/big business intimidation and coercion"
Hey, dude, HAVE YOU READ THE BILL? WILL YOUR RIGHT TO SECRET RATIFICATION AND UNION PLEBISCITE BE GUARANTEED OR WILL IT BE DESTROYED?
Concerned about Corporate intimidation? Fine! When the Union - just another Corporation with a Board of Directors, Sir - has the right to intimidate you into accepting the sweet deal it cuts with the new Government master of your employer... come back here and do tell us all about it, OK?
Don't be so quick to voice support for something that may damned well be your worst nightmare. READ the BILL. Dunno, it could be fine if you're an existing union member. For your sake, I hope so.
On the other hand, Unions constantly got the shaft from Big Government business leaders in the 20th century. Why should that tendency suddenly change?
Dan, that makes Joe unprepared, and about as goonish as those supporting a bill (ahem) they have not. yet. read. themselves. (cough)
I don't know what's in the bill. But if experience is any guide, it will suck big-time for both the Company and the Rank-and-File.
Dave in Harrisburg| 4.2.09 @ 3:35PM
See it with your own eyes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLuH6aF3Euk
CH| 4.2.09 @ 5:04PM
The video cuts off before Joe speaks on stage. Why?
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