By Rich Scinto, Register Staff rscinto@newhavenregister.com / Twitter: @rscinto_nhr

Healthbridge and CareOne jointly filed a RICO lawsuit against two Service Employees International Union affiliates just days before the union strike at five Connecticut nursing homes, including one in Milford, reaches its 100th day.

The companies claim United Healthcare Workers East, SEIU 1199 and New England Health Care Employees Union, District 1119 have engaged in a long-term pattern of sabotage, intimidation and other acts of extortion, according to a release from CareOne Management.

The nursing homes are in Danbury, Newington Stamford, Milford and Westport. About 700 strikers took to the picket lines in July to protest what they say are imposed labor concessions.

District 1199 representatives said the lawsuit is another desperate attack on union members.

The announcement of HealthBridges lawsuit against its own employees is just the latest in a series of aggressive actions by the company that has no basis in either fact or law, said David Pickus, president of SEIU District 1199 in a statement. HealthBridge has repeatedly filed charges at the labor board against the union that were then quietly withdrawn or dismissed.

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Statute is a federal law enacted in 1970 as part of the Organized Crime Control Act.

It doesnt necessarily apply only to organized crime, but thats certainly the paradigm, said W. John Thomas, a professor in the School of Law at Quinnipiac University who specializes in health policy law.

Thomas said that RICO lawsuits arent unheard of in similar situations.

Its certainly an extreme tactic, Thomas said. Ive never seen it used successfully in this type of situation.

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2 Connecticut health care operators file RICO lawsuit