SEIU Keeps Hounding Carlyle

SEIU protesters were back in action last Friday, at the Chicago GSB Private Equity Conference. An attendee tells me that the disruption occurred during the luncheon, which was being held at a Sheraton across the street from the school’s Gleacher Center.

Not surprisingly, the luncheon keynote was from The Carlyle Group. Not David Rubenstein this time, but fellow co-founder Bill Conway. As Conway began to speak, a protester entered via a side entrance. He began chanting about nursing home chain Manor Care, and was quickly joined by around another 20 protesters.

There was no back and forth between any of the SEIU members and Conway – as there had been last month at Wharton, when Rubenstein issued his infamous “remedial English” remark – although Conway did comment on the irony of his support for SEIU-endorsed presdential candidate Barack Obama. 

Non-uniformed security (maybe cops?) ushered the protesters out after just a few minutes, which extinguished the possibility of Wharton-like confrontations at tables and in the halls. Those Midwesterners either are quick learners from others’ experiences, or just don’t put up with the same types of things that us East Coasters do…