UPDATE: The Daily Caller has learned that the audio Sean Hannity played during his Friday, Nov. 2 broadcast was taken from a 2011 union protest against replacement workers during a Verizon strike. A YouTube video of the protest carries a description naming the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, local 827, as the source of the comments. That union local is based in East Windsor, N.J.

The Daily Caller regrets compounding the confusion.

Watch:

On his nationally syndicated talk radio program Friday, Sean Hannity played audio of what he said were union workers in New York City yelling “Scabs!” and “Scumbags!” at nonunion utility workers who came to the city to help reconnect power lines after Hurricane Sandy.

After the superstorm hit the northeastern U.S. Monday and Tuesday, the International Brotherhod of Electrical Workers reportedly demanding membership agreements from volunteer electric crews before allowing them to help restore power to millions of storm-crippled consumers in New York and New Jersey. (RELATED: Georgia power crew turned away from Sandy-stricken New York for refusing to join union)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie pledged Friday that he wouldn’t permit union interference with power restoration, but the governments of New York state and New York City have been silent on the matter. (RELATED: Christie threatens “Disaster Control Act” order to guarantee nonunion utility workers can help restore NJ power)

The audio Hannity played Friday featured what he said were “union thugs” berating utility workers from Alabama.

“That’s who you hurt, scumbags! That’s who you fucking hurt! Scumbags!” a loud voice on the audio recording is heard shouting. “Fuck all of you fucking losers! That’s who you hurt! You’re taking it from our families! Good jobs!”

“Go back where you came from! Look at her face! Scab! Look at her face, scab! That’s who you’re hurting, scab! You feel good tonight? Go home, you bunch of scabs! That’s who you’re hurting! Taking our jobs! That’s who you’re hurting, scabs! You’re hurting families!”

Hannity was outraged. “These are old people. They need heat. … Utility workers from Alabama, they get turned around,” he said. (RELATED: Ala. utility, Fla. crewman blame electricians’ union for interfering with Hurricane Sandy relief)

“They get called scabs and scumbags by union thugs.”

“Who’s in charge here?” Hannity asked, after airing the audio clip. “Who is in charge that people from Alabama — utility workers that came up here to help — they get called ‘scabs’ and ‘scumbags’ and they’re turned back. Who’s in charge of this?”

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