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Court decision involving strikers being run over

CAW leaders blast van driver's acquittal
  • CHATHAM - Outraged labour leaders renewed calls for anti-scab legislation Friday after a security guard who ran over three union members during a protest over replacement workers was found not guilty.

    'SHOCKED, DISAPPOINTED'

    "I'm shocked, disappointed and disheartened by the justice system," said Ken Lewenza, president of Canadian Auto Workers union Local 444, who was in Chatham on June 24, 2002, when loads of Windsor unionists protested against the use of replacement workers during a bitter strike at Navistar International Truck and Engine Corp.

    "I was there that day and I saw what happened," he said of the incident in which a van struck pickets Don Milner, Keith Bennett and John Swan.

    Superior Court Justice Peter Hockin Friday acquitted 24-year-old Steele Leacock, driver of the van, on three counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

    Milner, who has undergone many surgeries and still cannot walk or speak normally, suffered injuries to his lungs, heart and kidneys, a shattered pelvis, broken ribs, ruptured bladder, sheared urethra tube, damaged prostrate, nerve and tendon damage in both legs and feet, a badly broken arm and road rash.

    Bennett suffered injuries to his groin, back and hips and takes medication for pain, depression, stress and anxiety. Swan suffered extensive road rash.

    "That was the worst day of my life, quite frankly, and that's something I'll have to live with the rest of my life," said Lewenza. "We're talking about scabs trying to come into a manufacturing facility in the year 2000. None of this ever happened other than the '30s and '40s."

    The six-week strike at the Navistar plant was particularly acrimonious. Four days before the workers were injured, union pickets barged into a yard on Provincial Road to stop two buses from leaving with replacement workers destined for the struck plant in Chatham.

    Lewenza and former CAW Local 1973 president Nick Dzudz were charged with assaulting a security guard, though the charges were withdrawn when the alleged victim failed to show up in court. Charges were also dismissed in court against Lewenza for tossing a brick at the bus, though the judge criticized the union members' actions.

    In Chatham Friday, Hockin ruled Leacock acted as any reasonable driver would have when he inched a security van through an angry crowd of protesters.

    The judge found that Leacock didn't know he'd hit anyone when, after easing his way through the protesters, he drove away. What Leacock didn't know, he said, is Milner, 41, was under the vehicle.

    Hockin's verdict was met with anger by national CAW representative Joe McCabe.

    Calling the verdict "disgusting" and a "travesty to every worker," McCabe said the judge's decision is a setback for workers. "It shows the present government that we need anti-scab legislation in this province more so now then ever before," he said.

    Leacock's legal woes aren't over, however, since a civil lawsuit is pending.
Run 'em all over! :|
 
Meh, if you're on private property, and the owner of said property wants to drive their van on it, and you're in the way, tough cookies.
 
Originally posted by: Nebor
Meh, if you're on private property, and the owner of said property wants to drive their van on it, and you're in the way, tough cookies.
Click to expand...

So now grievous bodily harm with a 1000 pound weapon is considered reasonable application of force for the crime of tresspassing?
 
Originally posted by: Kibbo
Originally posted by: Nebor
Meh, if you're on private property, and the owner of said property wants to drive their van on it, and you're in the way, tough cookies.
Click to expand...

So now grievous bodily harm with a 1000 pound weapon is considered reasonable application of force for the crime of tresspassing?
Click to expand...



Absolutely. Kill em all.
 
Originally posted by: Nebor
Meh, if you're on private property, and the owner of said property wants to drive their van on it, and you're in the way, tough cookies.
Click to expand...

Bingo. Unions have become nothing more than legalized extortion organizations which protect bad workers and drive up the cost of goods and services anyway.

 
The driver probably didn't know he even ran over anybody. What are you going to do if you have a bunch of screaming fanatics surrounding your van when you are legally trying to enter or leave the factory? He was most likely scared shitless and panicked. The ones who got run over are at fault what where the doing standing in front of a moving vehicle.
 
Originally posted by: Kibbo
Originally posted by: Nebor
Meh, if you're on private property, and the owner of said property wants to drive their van on it, and you're in the way, tough cookies.
Click to expand...

So now grievous bodily harm with a 1000 pound weapon is considered reasonable application of force for the crime of tresspassing?
Click to expand...
If you're in the way of a vehicle that doesn't appear to be stopping, the chances of winning a Darwin award increase considerably.
 
i don't see anything wrong with what the driver did. the union strikers were blocking the entrance. that's illegal. the van driver was authorized to be there and drive into the factory. he tried to inch through slowly and the strikers surrounded his vehicle in an attempt to block him. they assume any responsiblity for the accident. there was no malicious intent on the part of the driver, he was just trying to get through.

cliff notes:
the "victim" brought it upon himself
 
In Chatham Friday, Hockin ruled Leacock acted as any reasonable driver would have when he inched a security van through an angry crowd of protesters.

The judge found that Leacock didn't know he'd hit anyone when, after easing his way through the protesters, he drove away. What Leacock didn't know, he said, is Milner, 41, was under the vehicle.
Click to expand...

Union worker gets ran over because union worker jumped infront of an inching vehicle. Now union worker sue because union worker is a money hungry pig.
 
Originally posted by: Kibbo
Originally posted by: Nebor
Meh, if you're on private property, and the owner of said property wants to drive their van on it, and you're in the way, tough cookies.
Click to expand...

So now grievous bodily harm with a 1000 pound weapon is considered reasonable application of force for the crime of tresspassing?
Click to expand...

Did you read what happened?

Your driving a truck through an angry mob who, for all you know, may physically harm you if you stop...so you inch through the crowd...that is perfectly reasonable.

The people that got hurt acted stupidly in that case...you put someone in prison because someone else was being stupid.

And a lot of unions are exactly as others here have said...extortion mobs.

Why do you think jobs are moving overseas? Unions are inflating wages and protecting sub-par workers... ultimately, unions are harming our economy. They are not only thing harming our economy, of course.
 
Originally posted by: myusername
Hm. You know, I've seen several occcasions where police have shot drivers dead for much less than that.
Click to expand...

Damn, where do you live?! I've yet to even see a gun pulled on anyone.
 
Originally posted by: miniMUNCH
Originally posted by: Kibbo
Originally posted by: Nebor
Meh, if you're on private property, and the owner of said property wants to drive their van on it, and you're in the way, tough cookies.
Click to expand...

So now grievous bodily harm with a 1000 pound weapon is considered reasonable application of force for the crime of tresspassing?
Click to expand...

Did you read what happened?

Your driving a truck through an angry mob who, for all you know, may physically harm you if you stop...so you inch through the crowd...that is perfectly reasonable.

The people that got hurt acted stupidly in that case...you put someone in prison because someone else was being stupid.

And a lot of unions are exactly as others here have said...extortion mobs.

Why do you think jobs are moving overseas? Unions are inflating wages and protecting sub-par workers... ultimately, unions are harming our economy. They are not only thing harming our economy, of course.
Click to expand...

NOt to mention the article states that drivers have been assulted and bricks were thrown at them. So no i do not blame the driver at all.

IF you are blocking the entrance of the place and you get ran over then it is your fault.

 
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