A New Jersey Superior Court issued an injunction against a local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical workers, which is one of the two unions currently on strike against Verizon Communications, and represents about 10,000 of the 45,000 striking employees.
The injunction prohibits a range of activities, some of which have reportedly been employed by various union picketers in efforts to obstruct or harass the company or its workers since the strike began more than a week ago.
Among the practices specifically forbidden under the court’s ruling: the throwing of feces. That the judge felt the need to explicitly include that “tactic” speaks to the ugliness of the protests so far.
No vandalism. No violence. No Harassment. No Obstruction. No intimidating. No threatening. No Blocking. No Trespassing. Those were just a few of the restrictions placed on members of the local 827 IBEW bargaining unit, their dependents, minors, households and relatives in an injunction signed by NJ Superior Court Justice Mary Beth Rogers last week.
Rogers also set restrictions on picketing, allowing no more than six picketers at the entrance to any Verizon owned property at any one time. Picketers were also advise that no more than two picketers may picket a private residence of a Verizon employee and must stay more than 10 feet away from any Verizon individuals performing work on a private residence or business. Rogers’ decision also specified picketers may not have animals present or block any ingress or egress to prohibit movement of a Verizon contractor vehicle.
Striking workers have also been barred from entering inside of any Verizon properties unless they are performing their duties as Verizon employees under the direction of Verizon. Rules were also set for recording, video taping or photographing any individual at any Verizon or performing company.
Ironically, section J is one that would normally go without saying, yet is clearly stated:
“Dropping, spreading, throwing, placing or otherwise causing nails, glass, cinder block, spikes, feces, clubs, rocks, screws, or puncture devices of any kind, or other object or debris to be thrown or strewn in, on, or about Verizon’s driveways, parking lots, entrances, exits, vehicles and adjoining roads to any of Verizon’s property or at any work site.”
The order took effect immediately after its filing on August 11th. IBEW 827 agreed to the proposal and posted a $50,000 bond for payment of incurred future damages.
