Union Demands Investigation, Will File Charges
Contact: Tony Montana, USW – 412-562-2592
PITTSBURGH – The United Steelworkers (USW) today demanded an investigation of the Cascade Steel security guard who intentionally struck and injured a USW member who was picketing early Thursday morning at Cascade Steel in McMinnville, Ore.
USW International President Leo W. Gerard said that the union will file an additional unfair labor practice charge over the incident against Cascade with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
“We are shocked and outraged that the driver was merely given a traffic citation, even though the evidence is clear that he struck the USW picketer with his vehicle on purpose,” Gerard said. “We want to know why he was not arrested and taken into custody.”
“A person who deliberately tries to run over another human being deserves much more than a traffic citation,” Gerard said. “Assault or even attempted murder would be more appropriate.”
The victim, Lee Frakes, sustained a serious injury and was hospitalized. He is now being treated at home but is unable to walk. His wife is due to have their child at any moment.
About 300 members of USW Local 8378 have been on strike over unfair labor practices at Cascade since April 8.
The USW represents about 850,000 working men and women in the United States and Canada in a wide variety of industries, ranging from glass making to mining, paper, steel, tire and rubber and other manufacturing environments to the public sector, service and health care industries.
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