YOUNGSTOWN Union rep says two men attacked him

Dozens of union workers showed up today to protest.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Two Pennsylvania men -- both heavy equipment operators -- were arrested at a construction site on West Rayen Avenue after a labor union representative told police they attacked him.
Michael Romano, 37, of Hall Town Road, Wampum, and Thomas Romano, 33, of McClelland Road, New Castle, were arrested at 1 p.m. Tuesday on charges of assault and criminal damaging. They were expected to be arraigned today in municipal court.
Both are nonunion workers employed by Cleveland Asphalt of Bessemer, Pa., reports show. The paving is a $750,000 Ohio Department of Transportation project on U.S. 422, from the Girard city line to Himrod Avenue.
According to police, Blaine Daugherty III, 31, of Willoughby Hills, Ohio, said he was videotaping the paving work being done on West Rayen when he was punched in the face by a man police later identified as Michael Romano. Daugherty, a member of Labor International Union of North America, said he was hit repeatedly and fell to his knees.
Police said Michael Romano then smashed the video camera on the ground. At this point, Thomas Romano jumped from his truck, ripped off his shirt and began to beat on Daugherty, the victim told police. Reports do not indicate whether the Romanos are related.
When police arrived, Michael Romano pulled the videotape from the cassette and ruined it, Daugherty said.
Union workers protest
This morning, a variety of union workers -- pipefitters, glaziers, construction -- showed up to protest what happened Tuesday to Daugherty. At least 50 men lined the curb on Wick Avenue to watch asphalt being installed at the intersection of West Rayen Avenue.
Matt Maclellan of Cleveland, a spokesman for the group and member of the Labor International Union of North America, said they routinely videotape nonunion job sites to check for safety violations. He said the film is then turned over to whomever contracted the work.
Detective Sgt. Joe Datko said city police would "keep an eye" on the work site today. City police and Youngstown State University Campus police circled the job site.
At 6:20 p.m. Tuesday, a flagman for Cleveland Asphalt, Kevin Yuhas, 34, of Poland, told police he was hit in the right leg when a car sped by him at the construction site on West Rayen. He told police he suspects it was related to union-nonunion troubles earlier in the day.