from their violent and dictator-run organization. Instead of supporting it, I put an amount equivalent to the union dues money toward feeding orphan children and supporting the charity, Christian Development. For this, I was in trouble with the union. At this point, the five of us all felt the union members had done their worst. Well, we were wrong. On the evening of April 20, 1978, just a week-and-ahalf after Judge Mayander failed to make a decision, I was watching television in the den of our home when all hell broke loose. Gun shots cracked the quiet. Then a car outside roared away. Later, I learned that eight rounds of magnum slugs from a 12-gauge shotgun were pumped into our home. I couldn't believe it. My little daughter's bedroom was demolished by three of the shots. One hit the mirror on her dresser and shattered it into a million pieces. Another shot blasted through her left window at the head of her bed. And a third magnum shell tore into her bedspread, leaving about a foot-long gash in her mattress. My Sheila Ann would have been murdered if she had been sleeping in that bed. I thank God my little girl was at her father's house that night. She was only eight years old at the time of the shooting. It was awfully hard to explain to her how anyone in this world could be so ignorant and irresponsible as to fire shots into someone's home, knowing full well they could kill someone. I know it crushed her heart to see her bedroom floor covered by a puddle of broken glass. But it had to stay that way until the detectives checked it out. The Hot Springs Police Department and the Garland County Sheriff both filed reports. And the local newspaper, THE HOT SPRINGS SENTINEL RECORD, sent a reporter to cover the story. They all were shocked to see my baby's bedroom. No longer did they think the union's actions were confined to name calling and intimidation. They knew then the union had attempted murder. I Early the next morning, the 21st of April, my friend Dana called from a pay phone to tell me everyone at the plant knew our home was attacked the night before. In the background, I could hear union members hollering at her. recognized one member's voice coming over the phone. She said, "Hey, heard the scab's house got shot up last night." Now, I wonder, how could that union member have any knowledge of the shooting, when THE SENTINEL RECORD newspaper story wasn't printed until the second day after the attack, April 22? That evening of the 21st, still the first day after the shooting, the detectives arrived and surveyed the scene of the crime. All they had to say was that the perpetrators were smart because a magnum slug cannot be traced. And if they were me, they would have my child sleep in another more 4 room. To tell the truth, I didn't need the detectives to tell me that. I guess as long as they knew magnum slugs were used the case was virtually closed -- not much of an investigation from our Hot Springs detective bureau. - You could never know how much tension the shooting into our home caused, unless you had experienced it yourself. Our children were not allowed to walk in front of the windows when it got dark. They had to lie on the floor to watch TV, because we feared more shots flying through the windows. Every night for three months, my son and I stood watch with a double-barreled shotgun and a 30-06 automatic case our would-be assassins returned. protect our family. just in We fully intended to Eventually, with the help of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, the five of us who originally resigned from the United Steelworkers filed a civil suit against Local 6178 and 16 of its members, charging it with waging an arm-twisting campaign to frighten us from our jobs. We won the suit, and last February 17, all five of us received damages from the union. Nonetheless, all the money in the world could never erase the emotional scars resulting from our ordeal. No doubt the violence and terror tactics waged against us have left permanent marks. None of us feels we could ever again work at National Rejectors where Frankie Joe Russell is still head of the union local. My experience at the hands of Local 6178 makes it important to me to speak out for justice. If I could be victimized by my own labor union, with no criminal penalties assessed against the perpetrators, the same could happen to other workers elsewhere. And I shudder to think of other Americans caught in the same bind, where the local police either will not, or cannot, do what is necessary to protect them. I believe if union leaders could reap a stiff penalty for sowing the seeds of discontent, they would not be so quick to inflict pain on individual workers in the rank and file, who dare disagree with them. Looking back now on the entire terrifying experience, I am thankful for the courage and strength my belief in God provided. I am also thankful for the courageous attorneys at the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, as well as attorney Mark Clark in Hot Springs. They truly fought a long, hard legal battle. Without them, Local 6178 eventually might have gotten away with murder. I also commend the chairman of this subcommittee, Senator Mathias for holding hearings, and I wish you Godspeed in this terribly important work. STATEMENT OF RON AND KAREN YOKOM MR. YOKOM WORKS AS THE EMPLOYEE LIAISON OFFICER FOR R*U*R Mr. Chairman, my wife and I appreciate the opportunity to submit our story to the record of these hearings. The following chronology and the accompanying incident reports are a detailed account of the violence surrounding an ongoing labor dispute at R*U*R Industries. Unfortunately, our efforts so far to get relief from local law enforcement officials have proved unsuccessful. June...1981 Beer bottle of gasoline hit the southwest corner of our house and burst into flames. June 15, 1981, 9:30 a.m. - South bedroom windows were broken out by Art Reed and wife, William Reed and wife, (Art and William had hearings August 28, 1981. They appealed the verdict.) Mr. Caldwell, from Erie, was also involved at that time. Caldwell may well be a union official with another local, possibly Uniflo, hearing set for November 9, 1981. Eight-year-old son was in the room when the windows were being broken. June 16, 1981, between the hours of 12 midnight and 3:30 a.m. - Art Reed stood on our front lawn, 6 feet from our window, and with a slingshot, broke the center pane of glass in the 6-foot window of the living room, and spent the next several hours throwing stones at the house. The police were called. Captain John Spencer told us that he would not come over because there were too many of them. (I) Ron then called the police chief at home (3:00 a.m.). He said there was nothing that he could do, because there was only one officer on duty, which is the usual number on duty. We had two neighbor children staying over and, to be safe, we had them taken home. Stones did enter into the bedroom where the children sleep, those windows had been broken out the day before. It was nearly 6 a.m. before our children got back to sleep. June 16, 1981, 8:30 a.m. Jim Geertson, using a slingshot, broke the upper left south bedroom window. He shot at least two times. As he was getting ready to shoot the third time, I told him that was enough. The police were called, Chief Cim responded, I went to the station and filed reports. When we returned, about an hour later, Geertson was gone. June 16 to 21, 1981 We left our home to stay with friends. June 17 and 18, 1981 Art Reed and Jim Geertson were seen by Security, employed by R*U*R, breaking out the picture window of our living room. Hearing set for October 28? November 9? Marbles and ball bearings were used. June 21, 1981 From the time we returned home that afternoon, union trustee Raymond Palmer, after much verbal more He harassment, broke out the back window of our 1973 Buick. was seen by the Security Guard employed by R*U*R. Hearing was August 28, appealed verdict. Reset for (date unknown.) June...1981 Front windshield of car broken out, person unknown, had to be standing in yard as car was parked in driveway. We were without a car to drive until we got the windows fixed August 1. Ohio. Left North East for a week, August 8 to 16, we were in August 25, 1981 Ed Straine and Sam Walker...much verbal harassment after we returned home from football practice, children became upset, approximate a half-hour later we heard glass breaking, when we went to check it out, the rear windshield was smashed, no one saw Walker or Straine do it, but we know that it was them. August 27, 1981 Much verbal harassment, slanderous remarks, lasted about 30 minutes (11-11:30 p.m.). August 28, 19, 2 a.m. Dave Surelick walked away from Clay Street plant entrance. He returned a few minutes later, walking towards the plant entrance. Some 50 feet before reaching it, he crossed the street and walked directly to our car and started smashing out the front windshield. Seconds later, Dick O'Neil joined him, breaking the right side of the windshield. Police were called. Twenty minutes later, Surelick came back and broke the left front, side window, a couple of minutes later, O'Neil came back and broke out the right rear, side window. David Bartlebaugh, NOT an employee of R*U*R, came over the same time O'Neil was there, and started on the front side window. He had a baseball bat, I told him to stop that, he turned, took a couple of steps and threw the bat at me, breaking the window screen. He was about six feet from me. - Police were called the second time, we were told that they were very busy at the Lake Street side, and we should just keep track of who did what. Later, we heard that the police took his radio off the set I believe it was the police captain. Also heard that police Sgt. Huber was not willing to be involved in any of this trouble. Thank GOD that there are three officers who are willing to help Stills, Allen, and Peters. I also understand that the Mayor of North East was unwilling to become involved in this strike. Perhaps twenty minutes after Bartlebaugh threw the bat at me, he returned with a large rock. I told him to drop it, he looked at me for a second or so, then raised the - more rock. At that time he was about twelve feet from me, but about seven to eight feet when the rock was thrown. I ducked as the glass from the double-paned, 15" by 32" window shattered all over me, and across the room, which is 12 feet wide. Just prior to this, O'Neil had walked into the side yard, up past the car and took our wheelbarrow. He took it up the street and put it into the back of a truck. Jim Hanson witnessed all of this also. This took place over a period of two hours. Hearings were held, Bartlebaugh was charged and is serving three-to-six months at county prison, ordered to pay restitution for all damages done to our property that night, but no arrangements have been made, as far as we know. This hearing was in September, with Abate. The D.J. O'Neil's and Surelick's hearing may be October 28, November 9, 13 or 17. About 5-5:30, someone threw a lighted flare onto the porch of house owned by R*U*R. August 28, 1981 We had sent all three children to stay with my sister, because we knew that something was happening. Left home again for a couple of days, so we could get settled down again. August 25, 1981 Saw union president Rich Melon and union secretary Harry C. Foster throwing stones and bottles at security van. Others were also involved, Carl Elders, Lester Fisher, (others unidentified). Melon is charged with arson on that same night, a lighted flare was thrown at the house owned by R*U*R. Two security guards reported seeing him light and throw the flare. He has been bound over. July, 1981 - Foster and Dave Devers, union official from Erie or Pittsburg office, were at picket line, Foster was mouthing off to me, then told the other guys that they should all line up and piss on us. Devers laughed. They left shortly after that. September 11, 1981 Strikers were drinking and smoking "pot" on 4-to-8 shift. Lester Fisher, Raleigh, Maas, union members, and Duane Wesley, a friend of Maas. About 7:30, Wesley threw a wine bottle at our 3-year-old daughter, Suzy. The glass shattered and flew up onto Suzy's leg. They all thought it was funny, and Wesley said, "Good aim." He was arrested on October 1 and fined $131.00. In October, he was heard to say that "he would get that little kid for squealing on him." Witness is Dave Artise. October 3, 1981 At 3 a.m., I saw a striker come across our lawn, heard a noise, and when I looked down the stairs, the screen in the living room window had been cut and the plastic that we put up had been pulled at. I did not know his name. more |