#TinBadgeTyrants I had a few run-ins with cops during our labor struggle with CAT. One of the most interesting is when two Pekin city police detectives came knocking at my door one evening. They told me they had been contacted by the #FBI and asked to investigate alleged threats I had made against #Caterpillar executives. I invited them in and we sat at the kitchen table while Tracey and the boys made an exit to another room.
They gave me their business cards and I asked them why they were so far out of their jurisdiction. They both seemed shocked to learn they were a mile east of Pekin’s jurisdiction. I told them I pitied them having to do CAT’s bidding to harass a fellow #Union member. They refused to tell me specifically who made these accusations or which “executive” I had supposedly threatened.
I told them I knew of several possibilities of why CAT would send them to my home to harass me. I explained I had recently filed a complaint with the State’s Attorney against Jerry Brust for bashing a young boy in the face with a metal clipboard one morning in front of G.O. Or perhaps it was my many opportunities to shake my fist and yell obscenities at Fites, Flaherty, Brust etc. at the airport or at G.O. Or maybe the regular public access cable shows I produced to air in several communities. Or could it be the multiple ULP charges I had filed against CAT?
They changed the subject after I continued this line of possible union activity for the reason they were being used so badly to represent CAT against people. They wanted to know if I knew anything about jack rocks. I told them of course I did. Everyone on the picket line was aware Vance Security scattered them along the roadside where we parked on the picket line. And after a I went on about all the instances of helping file police reports against CAT and Vance for this illegal activity they once again wanted to change the subject.
They wanted to know if I had ever made any threats against SCABs and I asked them if they thought CAT executives were SCABs? And why ask me about that? The fact is I had to represent SCABs in grievance procedures and I did so diligently because what they could get away with doing to a SCAB they could then do to loyal #UAW workers after a precedent was set. And I told them not to worry, that even though they were doing CAT’s bidding, I didn’t consider THEM to be SCABs because they were only doing their jobs.
After a few more minutes of my veiled insults they eventually seemed embarrassed enough to want to leave so I let them off easy. I think they had hoped to intimidate me and were not happy that I seemed to be enjoying the opportunity to harass them in turn.
I took their business cards to our union president and was interviewed later by the UAW lawyers, but I never heard anything more about it. (Except for some good-natured ribbing from some of the guys who heard about the incident.)
About
