Drop the Anti-Union, Frame-up Charges Against Steve Kirschbaum, Pack Dorchester Court!
Monday, July 14, 2014, at 8:30am
Dorchester District Court
510 Washington St, Dorchester Center, Massachusetts 02124
On July 3, 2014, four plain clothes BPD detectives paid two visits to brother Kirschbaum's home while he was at the Boston Teachers Union in contract negotiations with Veolia Transportation, Inc. Lieutenant Detective Thomas Hopkins served Steve's daughter, Hannah, with his Summons to appear on July 14, 2014, at 8:30 am at BMC Dorchester Court, 510 Washington Street, Dorchester MA 02124. The summons says Steve is to be arraigned on charges of Assault and Battery with a dangerous Weapon, Trespass, Breaking and Entering during the Daytime to Commit a Felony, and Malicious Destruction of Property. These false, defamatory, and outrageous charges are identified as "offenses" alleged to have occurred on June 30th at the Solidarity Day rallies and march.
On June 30th Solidarity Day nearly 500 militant USW 8751 Boston School Bus drivers and supporters took the struggle against Veolia/City union busting to the streets surrounding the Freeport bus yard and Veolia Corporate Headquarters. Demonstrators chanted "No Contract. No work!" and "Veolia, We say no, Union Busting has got to go!" Protestors were demanding the rehiring of the 4 illegally fired leaders, a just new contract, and, joining with the community of Boston, saying "NO" to the City's racist austerity cutbacks and re-segregation plan. The three and a half hour protest included an opening rally featuring Labor and Community supporters followed by a march to Veolia HQ for another rally.
The demonstrators then took to the streets again, concluding with an impromptu "union membership briefing" in the Freeport Driver's Room. The union leaders advised both company representatives and BPD that the union members were asserting their contract right to "access to the property" to conduct "union activity" (Article 15, sec 1 and 3.), namely a critical briefing on that day's contract negotiations, as the contract expiration was just hours away. The doors to the facility were unlocked and opened. The union, drivers, monitors, families and supporters had access to the drivers` room facilities all day on June 30th, as is always the case. There was no issue of "disruption of operations," as there was no operations taking place at that time of the day. The company's illegal efforts to stop the meeting by calling in the police proved ineffective in deterring the union. The meeting was held in an orderly, peaceful manner, and the gathering disbursed at the conclusion without incident. There are scores of witnesses that can confirm that the charges against Steve are absolutely false. These frame-up charges seek to defame Steve Kirschbaum and USW 8751's 40 year history of militant unionism, social activism and solidarity with labor struggles locally, nationally and globally.
These groundless frame-up charges represent the most recent link in an unbroken chain of vile anti-union attacks against the hard working women and men of USW 8751, their militant fighting union, and the communities they serve. It is part and parcel of the Veolia/City war against USW 8751 that has included the illegal firing of the four USW leaders, 18 Unfair Labor Practice charges against Veolia with the National Labor Relations Board, hundreds of individual and class action grievances, and more.
At the negotiating table the company is seeking to take away 40 years of collective bargaining progress while the city's racist austerity cuts represent a most serious attack on the community's right to safe, on time, professional yellow school bus transpor-tation and equal, quality education generally. The obscene, anti-union opinion column by Lawrence Harmon in the Boston Globe lays bare that the intent of Veolia, the City, the Boston Police, and other labor haters is to defame and destroy USW Local 8751.
The Union busters will fail. USW 8751 has a proud and militant history of defending its members, the majority of whom come from Boston's African American and immigrant communities; winning wages, benefits and working conditions; and ensuring union rights that are the envy of the school bus industry. The unity and solidarity demonstrated by Solidarity Day will prove decisive in the battle to win Safety for the Students and Justice for the Drivers. This is a struggle to defend Local 8751 and the union movement as a whole.
Drop the anti-union charges against Steve Kirschbaum NOW! Stop Veolia oppression from Boston to Palestine! Rehire the fired leaders! No Concessions! Contract Justice NOW!
Say NO to Boston School Department's racist austerity cuts. Don't throw middle school students off the bus!
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| Steve Kirschbaum at right is being subjected to false charges in Boston. |
Dorchester District Court
510 Washington St, Dorchester Center, Massachusetts 02124
On July 3, 2014, four plain clothes BPD detectives paid two visits to brother Kirschbaum's home while he was at the Boston Teachers Union in contract negotiations with Veolia Transportation, Inc. Lieutenant Detective Thomas Hopkins served Steve's daughter, Hannah, with his Summons to appear on July 14, 2014, at 8:30 am at BMC Dorchester Court, 510 Washington Street, Dorchester MA 02124. The summons says Steve is to be arraigned on charges of Assault and Battery with a dangerous Weapon, Trespass, Breaking and Entering during the Daytime to Commit a Felony, and Malicious Destruction of Property. These false, defamatory, and outrageous charges are identified as "offenses" alleged to have occurred on June 30th at the Solidarity Day rallies and march.
On June 30th Solidarity Day nearly 500 militant USW 8751 Boston School Bus drivers and supporters took the struggle against Veolia/City union busting to the streets surrounding the Freeport bus yard and Veolia Corporate Headquarters. Demonstrators chanted "No Contract. No work!" and "Veolia, We say no, Union Busting has got to go!" Protestors were demanding the rehiring of the 4 illegally fired leaders, a just new contract, and, joining with the community of Boston, saying "NO" to the City's racist austerity cutbacks and re-segregation plan. The three and a half hour protest included an opening rally featuring Labor and Community supporters followed by a march to Veolia HQ for another rally.
The demonstrators then took to the streets again, concluding with an impromptu "union membership briefing" in the Freeport Driver's Room. The union leaders advised both company representatives and BPD that the union members were asserting their contract right to "access to the property" to conduct "union activity" (Article 15, sec 1 and 3.), namely a critical briefing on that day's contract negotiations, as the contract expiration was just hours away. The doors to the facility were unlocked and opened. The union, drivers, monitors, families and supporters had access to the drivers` room facilities all day on June 30th, as is always the case. There was no issue of "disruption of operations," as there was no operations taking place at that time of the day. The company's illegal efforts to stop the meeting by calling in the police proved ineffective in deterring the union. The meeting was held in an orderly, peaceful manner, and the gathering disbursed at the conclusion without incident. There are scores of witnesses that can confirm that the charges against Steve are absolutely false. These frame-up charges seek to defame Steve Kirschbaum and USW 8751's 40 year history of militant unionism, social activism and solidarity with labor struggles locally, nationally and globally.
These groundless frame-up charges represent the most recent link in an unbroken chain of vile anti-union attacks against the hard working women and men of USW 8751, their militant fighting union, and the communities they serve. It is part and parcel of the Veolia/City war against USW 8751 that has included the illegal firing of the four USW leaders, 18 Unfair Labor Practice charges against Veolia with the National Labor Relations Board, hundreds of individual and class action grievances, and more.
At the negotiating table the company is seeking to take away 40 years of collective bargaining progress while the city's racist austerity cuts represent a most serious attack on the community's right to safe, on time, professional yellow school bus transpor-tation and equal, quality education generally. The obscene, anti-union opinion column by Lawrence Harmon in the Boston Globe lays bare that the intent of Veolia, the City, the Boston Police, and other labor haters is to defame and destroy USW Local 8751.
The Union busters will fail. USW 8751 has a proud and militant history of defending its members, the majority of whom come from Boston's African American and immigrant communities; winning wages, benefits and working conditions; and ensuring union rights that are the envy of the school bus industry. The unity and solidarity demonstrated by Solidarity Day will prove decisive in the battle to win Safety for the Students and Justice for the Drivers. This is a struggle to defend Local 8751 and the union movement as a whole.
Drop the anti-union charges against Steve Kirschbaum NOW! Stop Veolia oppression from Boston to Palestine! Rehire the fired leaders! No Concessions! Contract Justice NOW!
Say NO to Boston School Department's racist austerity cuts. Don't throw middle school students off the bus!
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