Dangerous Ideas

I just heard from an organizer at SEIU Local 1877 (whom I do work with) that some of their members were pepper sprayed at a union rally. I can understand when two sides have a difference of opinion, but it’s really bad when a company resorts to physical violence when confronted with protests. Here’s a newspaper article on it:

Kevin O’Donnell, a spokesman for the union, said the demonstrators at the mall were there to voice grievances regarding alleged civil rights abuses committed by General Growth Properties againstemployees. “In the course of forming their union, they’ve been met with interrogation, intimidation, discrimination, censorship. You’ve had mall janitors who have been prohibited from talking to union organizers.” O’Donnell said that as a result of the scuffle with the security guards, janitors Maricela Flores and Sonia Sharwood and union organizer Raul Cardenas were taken to Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Hayward to be treated for impaired vision, pain in the limbs and difficulty breathing.