Hawaiian Telcom complains of union coercion

Hawaiian Telcom has filed a federal complaint against the union representing its employees for allegedly intimidating workers who might decide to cross the picket line in the event of a strike against the company.

The complaint filed with the National Labor Relations Board on Friday said the IBEW 1357, in an item posted on its website, "unlawfully threatened and coerced employees … who exercise their rights to cross a picket line."

The Hawaiian Telcom complaint said the posting constituted an unfair labor practice under the National Labor Relations Act.

The IBEW’s 700 members employed by Hawaiian Telcom have been working without a contract since Oct. 24. Contract talks broke off about a week earlier. The union membership voted on Oct. 31 to reject the company’s latest contract proposal and authorize union leaders to call a strike.

The posting cited in Hawaiian Telcom’s complaint was a four-paragraph item on the IBEW website titled "What is a scab?"

After providing a dictionary definition of a scab, the item goes on to describe "Actions taken towards scabs."

"While physical violence of any kind towards scabs cannot be tolerated, every attempt to identify them will be taken. Once verified, the name of the person who has crossed will go on the local union’s website under ‘Hall of Shame.’"

The posting also said the union would document and print the names of any vendors or contractors who crossed the picket line.

The company offered the union a three-year contract that included a 1 percent annual raise plus a $500 signing bonus each year. It also included reduced sick leave and an increase in the employee contribution to medical premiums.