Congressman Scott Perry Introduces the Freedom from Union Violence Act

Congressman Scott Perry Introduces the Freedom from Union Violence Act Washington, D.C . - Congressman Scott Perry (PA-10) just introduced the Freedom from Union Violence Act, to rectify a deadly loophole in the 1946 Hobbs Anti-Extortion Act that enables union officials to perpetrate violence, extortion, and other crime in pursuit of union objectives. “I was shocked to learn that unions can literally terrorize non-union workers into either joining a union or quitting their jobs altogether, which has included many forms of violence up to and including even murder,” said Congressman Perry. “For decades, bad-actor unions have gotten away with this because of a much-abused loophole the Supreme Court carved out through the Hobbs Anti-Extortion Act. My bill, the 'Freedom from Union Violence Act,' closes that loophole once and for all. Americans – all Americans - are subject to the same laws and penalties, union member or not.” The Supreme Court Enmons decision (1973) held that strike-related violence cannot be prosecuted under the 1946 Hobbs Anti-Extortion Act, which created a loophole empowering chaos and criminality, so long as the perpetrators believe they’re pursuing “legitimate union objectives.” As a result, decades of union violence (much directed at coworkers merely disagreeing with a strike) came with zero consequences. This not only emboldens more violence, but creates an untenable, dangerous, and inequitable system by which a special/select group of Citizens (unions) may act without impunity whereby Citizens in similar situations would otherwise be held accountable. According to the National Institute for Labor Relations Research, since Enmons , approximately 12,000 incidents of union violence resulted in 203 deaths and over 6,600 injuries to American workers. Other law enforcement records indicate that as much as 80-90% of union violence reported to police goes unreported in the media. Congressman Perry’s bill not only rights a wrong by closing the Enmons loophole, but most importantly, keeps our workers safe by raising awareness of this issue.