Hofstra Labor and Employment Law Journal Volume 11 | Issue 2 Article 6 1994 RICO: Is it a Panacea or a Bitter Pill for Labor Unions, Union Democracy and Collective Bargaining? Steven T. Ieronimo Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarlycommons.law.hofstra.edu/hlelj Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Ieronimo, Steven T. (1994) "RICO: Is it a Panacea or a Bitter Pill for Labor Unions, Union Democracy and Collective Bargaining?," Hofstra Labor and Employment Law Journal: Vol. 11: Iss. 2, Article 6. Available at: http://scholarlycommons.law.hofstra.edu/hlelj/vol11/iss2/6 This document is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarly Commons at Hofstra Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Hofstra Labor and Employment Law Journal by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons at Hofstra Law. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Ieronimo: RICO: Is it a Panacea or a Bitter Pill for Labor Unions, Union De RICO: IS IT A PANACEA OR A BITTER PILL FOR LABOR UNIONS, UNION DEMOCRACY AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING? I. INTRODUCrION Congress enacted the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organi- zations statute' ("RICO") in 1970. Its aim was to take on the ever increasing problem of organized crime's corruptive grip on legitimate businesses and unions.2 RICO was a fresh approach to the problem of uprooting organized crime? "[T]he RICO statute was intended to provide new weapons of unprecedented scope for an assault upon organized crime and its economic roots."4 However, RICO does not exist in a vacuum. The statute also affects legitimate interests, such as those of labor.' Criminal and civil RICO actions brought by the government can affect labor interests in both positive and negative ways.