Haha! Union thugs are alive and well in the South. Go to a joint legislative budget committee meeting in the South on a day when labor bills are on the table. There's be plenty of AFL-CIO and railroad large guys making a point to stand rather than sit in the back. I don't think they do many beat downs anymore, but they lean on legislators pretty hard, and usually take their revenge through character assassination and the like during elections. They're also pretty good about making sure there are always escorts hanging about in the bars after the sessions retire. I'm sure there are more than a few rural legislators in my state who are scared of pictures making it to their wives.