by James Norton and Donald Norton

Beginning at 3 a.m. this morning, more than 30 members of Teamsters Local 25 padlocked the entrance of Russel Disposal  and parked a large tractor trailer in fron of the business to block access to the waste businesses’ yard.

Witnesses on scene said the union attempted to intimidate everyone in sight, including police and media, with curse-laden threats. A fracas erupted between Teamsters, police and Russell employees. At one point during the confrontation Russell owner Chuck Russell stood in McGrath Highway with a sombrero on and stomped on discarded picket signs.

The  teamsters are trying to unionize Russell employees but have not been successful, convincing only six of 100 Russell workers to picket with them and gaining  12 votes in favor of unionization.

Somerville police were on scene and arrested 10 Teamsters who refused to move away from the entrance and allow Russell employees to enter.   

Locked chains installed by the Local 25 members on the front gate were eventually cut away to allow access to the facility.

Police in full riot gear pushed the Local 25 members back from the front gate and to a staged area underneath McGrath Highway to allow workers access to the facility and for trucks to enter and leave.

By 11 a.m. the scene had calmed. Though when Russell walked to the front of his business Teamsters launched verbal threats.

"Ya piece of shit," yelled one union member. "You’re a criminal."

Somerville Police Captain Paul Upton said the 10 Teamsters arrested will appear in court later today or early tomorrow morning. He could not yet release their names, he said.

Teamsters Local 25 President Sean O’Brien told a Somerville news reporter he was "too busy with something" to comment on the morning’s events.