CHARLESTON, W.Va.—A county judge here issued a 10-day temporary restraining order Mar. 16 limiting
picketing by the Communications Workers of America in their strike against Frontier Communications. Kanawha County Judge Charlie King said Frontier had made a “threshold showing that the Defendants have engaged in unlawful activities,” and prohibited the CWA from having more than six picketers at any Frontier worksite, verbally harassing strikebreakers, or interfering with anyone crossing a picket line. He gave the union and the company until 5 p.m. March 19 to reach an agreement on how picketing should be conducted. CWA District 2-13 Vice President Ed Mooney said in a statement that the injunction was “an overreaction by the company to the lawful activity of our striking members” and showed Frontier was worried by “the tremendous support that residents and business owners across West Virginia have shown.” The only illegal action in the strike, he told WVMetroNews, was “by one of their scabs” who was arrested for pulling a gun on picketers in Flatwoods shortly after the strike began Mar. 4. Judge King will hold a hearing Mar. 21 on whether the restraining order should be extended into a preliminary injunction. Read more
