More Threats for Nonunion Workers In Philly


International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 98 (IBEW) union bosses contine to picket a diner whose owner is using nonunion labor or a building site.  Both customers and staff have suffered harassment by the picketers who are really protesting the building site, but have targeted the diner’s customers.  Alan Jaffe has the story on newsworks.org.

“They are picketing at breakfast, lunch and dinner at the diner and, on occasion, at the Trolley Car Café,” Weinstein said, referring to his East Falls eatery. “They have a way of stepping into the street and into our driveway and stopping cars in order to annoy our customers.”

When the picketing began in February, Weinstein’s loyal patrons increased their visits to show their support.

“But now, it’s just an annoyance,” he said, noting that the diner staff has been targeted with verbal abuse and offensive gestures. “My servers are very unhappy, and they have nothing to do with this.”
“The police sometimes come and cite them for these disturbances,” he said. “The police leave, and the picketers go right back to what they were doing.”

Weinstein said the union protesters have also told drivers along Germantown Avenue that they suffered from food poisoning after eating at the diner.
When the protests began at the diner in the winter, Weinstein and his son tried to bring the picketers coffee and doughnuts.

One protester politely declined the offer, but others “turned to us and said, ‘We know where you live and we will visit you.’ It was a direct threat.”

Weinstein called the police and has a copy of the report that cites two individuals for threatening behavior.

Weinstein has avoided contact with the protesters since then and has made no attempt to negotiate with IBEW Local 98 business manager John Dougherty or his representatives.
Weinstein said. “I would never hire a union electrician after watching how they act. Why would you ever hire a union electrician when they threaten you and your family?”

The union protesters have never showed up at the St. Peter’s construction site, “which I find amazing, since that’s what they’re protesting,” Weinstein said. “They are intentionally deceiving people who are driving by the diner into thinking we have unfair labor practices at the diner.”
Since the Trolley Car Diner has become a union flash point, Weinstein said he has become a “magnet” for stories from other developers and investors over union confrontations.

However, most are unwilling to discuss their problems publicly.

“It’s hard to get people to come out and be public about this,” he said. “I feel like I’m speaking out for all the other developers and investors who have faced these problems.”

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