March 27, 2010
Dear Neighbors,
On Wednesday, March 24, most of you received a letter from Henry Huerta, Director of CLEAN Carwash Campaign (an organizing committee that is under the wing of The United Steelworkers). Mr. Huerta apologized for the noise from their picketers and trivialized it by indicating it was an “inconvenience” that we have heard “in recent weeks.”
Anyone who has heard picket screams inside their home since October, 2009 knows very well that their noise is more than an “inconvenience”.
It’s been an infuriating invasion of our privacy, ruining our daily routines, destroying our peace of mind, interrupting our ability to think, concentrate, study and sleep, as well as a glaring violation of Los Angeles and California law.
Yesterday, while I was bringing in my trash cans from the curb, the picket line focused on me and started YELLING at me, “SHAME ON YOU!
SHAME ON YOU”. They gestured at me with their arms, fingers, pranced around and sounded nasty and threatening. Targeting me with intimidating shouts and ugly behavior is NOT “peaceful picketing” which is the only thing the law says they can do.
For FIVE SOLID MONTHS, the union has invaded our neighborhood and over-stepped their bounds and now they have mailed us an arrogant sales pitch, saying the car wash has “disrespect for the surrounding community!” The ONLY disrespect for the community has been coming from the union picket line itself.
As the union continues to abuse their right to picket the car wash, residents who are annoyed need to do two things:
1. Support the car wash so it doesn’t close down. The Bershadsky family is trying to keep their legal business open and employees are trying to earn a living! Employees have told me they do not want to be in the union. If the union continues to torment us, harass and chase away customers, they will close a neighborhood business that has served this community for more than 30 years. Flyer from Robertson Car Wash
2. Call LAPD at 1-877-275-5273 EVERY TIME you are annoyed by the picket line. Officer Davis at the WLA Station told me today that residents need to CALL AS MANY TIMES as we are bothered, even if it is two or three times per day! He told me that the more complaints that are recorded in the LAPD database, the better. This information stays in their computers and becomes proof of picket line annoyance and infractions. He said “when picket line problems take up too many LAPD resources, LAPD can go to City Council and ask for their permit to be revoked.”
We are approaching the 6-month mark. The pickets will continue to abuse the system and scream for as long as they want to, until we can get LAPD to MAKE THEM LOWER their voices and behave in a civil manner. Please don’t call LAPD unless your call is legitimate and don’t be fooled by union leaflets. They are not our friends and the car wash isn’t the big evil they portray in their propaganda. As picket line behavior continues to be LOUD and NASTY since the issuance of their apology letter, it is clear to me they really are not sorry for the noise and disturbance they are creating in our community.
Thank you for reading this and for your help.
Regards,
-Concerned and Harassed Resident on W. 24th St. Los Angeles, CA 90034
CC: Mario Gonzalez, LAPD Senior Lead Officer
Susan Strick neighborhood prosecutor City Attorney office
Elizabeth Carlin-10th council
Warren H. Winston, LAPD Labor Relations Unit
Eric Weiser-5th council
Ilya Bershadsky owner Robertson Car Wash
STOP the PICKET NOISE at Robertson Car Wash! 