“Goonion” (from the words “goon” and “labor union”) is a highly charged term used by a person who believes that unions operate like goons—terrorizing opponents. The term is cited in print from the late 1990s.
 
   
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Main Entry: goon
Pronunciation: \ˈgün\
Function: noun
Etymology: probably short for English dialect gooney simpleton
Date: 1921
1: a stupid person
2 a: a man hired to terrorize or eliminate opponents b: enforcer 2b
   
6 December 1997, San Antonio (TX) Express-News, “Union duo face runoff - Firefighters president gripes about cartoons” by Marty Sabota, Metro, pg. 1B:
San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association President Michael Rankin was thrown into a runoff Friday in the wake of controversial cartoons that called for a change in union leadership.
(...)
“The Goonions must go. Vote the Goonions out!!!” Some drawings depict apelike men wearing swastikas and lightning bolts.
   
Google Groups: alt.society.labor-unions
Newsgroups: alt.society.labor-unions, alt.politics.usa.republican, alt.society.liberalism
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Eric Olsen)
Date: 1998/06/05
Subject: SEPTA union supoorts drug addicts and alchoholics!
 
We had an incdident in 1990 where a SEPTA subway crashed and the operator was high on coke and of course because he is a “goonion” boy, the “goonion” backed him up!
   
Google Groups: alt.society.labor-unions
Newsgroups: alt.society.labor-unions
From: “David F. Boetcher”

Date: 1998/06/05
Subject: Re: PROTECT Your Rights: Join a Union
 
And everyone who is in a union is labeled a “goonion”.  If you see a problem with labels and blanket rhetoric statements do not use them yourself.  This is just a form of hate speech disguising itself as debate.
   
Neal Boortz - Nealz Nuze
Wednesday - Februgly 7, 2007
DEMOCRATS PAYOFF UNIONS
That bill I have been telling you about has finally been introduced into the House. The Democrats want to pay back the goonions for their long-term support. They’re trying to do that by making it easier for goonions to organize workers.
 
Mike’s Meandering Mind
Goonions
Why would I never join a union?
(...)
This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 26th, 2007 at 12:18 pm and is filed under Politics, Socialism.
 
Inoperable Terran
Spectre realizes he’s in deep trouble, abandons goonion support
Author: Ian S.
March 25, 2009
   
Neal Boortz - Nealz Nuze
READING ASSIGNMENTS
By Neal Boortz @ May 19, 2009 8:11 AM
Here is some potentially good news from Washington ... the card check bills is pretty much dead. I just hate this for the goonion movement.