Injunction lifted in nurses' dispute with SEIU

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/23/BAP710A7H6.DTL

Charles Burress, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

An emergency court order last week against the Service Employees International Union, based on allegations that union members were stalking and harassing organizers of the rival California Nurses Association, was lifted Tuesday after an Alameda County Superior Court commissioner determined that he had issued the order improperly.

Commissioner Jon Rantzman had issued an injunction last week in response to a petition by the Oakland-based nurses union claiming that SEIU agents threatened and harassed its organizers at a meeting and at their homes. The injunction barred SEIU President Andy Stern and members of his union from assaulting, stalking or coming near the other union's organizers.

SEIU, which had not been notified of the pending injunction beforehand, appealed to Rantzman, saying California labor law required giving SEIU a chance to respond before the injunction was issued.

SEIU also said that the nurses union's harassment claims were not true and that it was illegally using the courts to try to stifle SEIU's free speech.

Rantzman on Tuesday agreed to lift the injunction, pending the outcome of SEIU's countermotion claiming that the nurses union's petition for the injunction violated the state's "anti-SLAPP" law, which bars any lawsuit designed to chill free speech.

FULL story at link.