The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers is taking a police action that prevented workers from picketing in front of the Perryville IKEA distribution center to U.S. District Court, asking a judge to allow demonstrators to cross a road in front of the business.
The IAM represents about 320 striking Local Lodge 460 workers, who have been on strike since mid-November over wage increases and to maintain the seniority system which the union says prevents favoritism when assigning duties. IKEA’s proposed contract effectively eliminated the seniority system and would’ve given workers wages “outpaced by inflation,” the court filing says.
On Nov. 26, the civil action states a Perryville police officer ordered workers not to cross the road to picket the entrance of the distribution center, even though a police lieutenant previously approved the picketers’ plans to “intermittently cross the strip of road that connects Maryland Road 327 to the access road for the IKEA distribution center,” without blocking the entrance.
Nevertheless, the police sergeant said if workers crossed the road, they would be arrested. David Sullivan, general vice president of IAM’s eastern territory, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
“The order and arrest of GVP Sullivan had an immediate chilling effect on the picketers, who in compliance with the order and as a result of the arrest, moved to areas of the picket site where they could not conceivably be accused of crossing or entering Maryland Road 327,” the union’s filing says.
“The IAM will never waver in defending the federally protected rights of our Local I460 members at IKEA,” Sullivan said in a statement Friday.
“In the IAM and in this great nation, we hold dear our rights to make our voices heard and fight for fairness. We will stand with our membership at IKEA every step of the way.”
The IAM has also filed an unfair labor practice claim with the National Labor Relations Board related to the incident, claiming that “IKEA management contacted and directed the local police department to stop the lawful picketing nearest the distribution center entrance, and the police department carried out the request to stop the lawful union activity, all in an effort to scare the workers from exercising their legally-protected right to peacefully picket,” according to a December news release.
The union asked the court to obligate the defendants to withdraw the order, refrain from making similar orders pertaining to Maryland Road 327, to declare defendants’ actions unlawful, as well as to affirmatively grant workers the right to cross that particular road during a picket.
In addition to Perryville and Perryville Police Department being named in the suit, Mayor Michelle Linkey and Police Chief Robert Nitz are also listed as defendants. Nitz was not available to comment for this article. Linkey did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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