Canadian USW Rail Workers Harding & Labrie Are Not Guilty! Drop The Charges NOW! SF Rally

A solidarity rally was held at the San Francisco Canadian Consulate on January 4, 2018 to demand that charges be dropped against MMA USW union railroad workers Tom Harding and Richard Labrie for the deaths of 47 people in the Lac-Mégantic train wreck. The highly flammable cargo on the train cars was only manned by one worker and the evidence at the trial has shown that there were not proper safety measures in place. The company and the Canadian government according to speakers is now scapegoating the workers. The Canadian government liked the US government has pushed deregulation and 1 person crews being pushed by the rail owners and the speakers charged this was the real reason for this and other disasters.

There were also support actions on in Chicago, Seattle, DC and in Sao Paulo, Brazil at Canadian consulates and embassies.

The speakers also discussed the growing rail wrecks and dangerous transportation system in the United States and this was connected to similar efforts to downsize the staffing of the trains and deregulation. Speakers included trade unionists from SMART Local 1741 SF Bus Drivers, SEIU 1021 Social And Economic Justice Committee and members of Railroad Workers United RWU and Workers Solidarity Action Network WSAN. Environmental activists also attended and spoke.

Additional media:

https://soundcloud.com/workweek-radio/ww12-26-17-campaign-for-railroad-workers-facing-trial-for-lac-megantic-wreck
http://railroadworkersunited.org/lac-megantic/
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/505b96a8c4aa40a37a143c49/t/5814d3da37c581849ea8c40e/1477759962784/If+you+Care+About+Rail+Safety+Yoiu+Must+Support+Tom+Harding.pdf
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/montreal/mma-lac-megantic-trial-jonathan-couture-1.4423964
http://www.themilitant.com/2015/7905/790553.html
http://www.cbc.ca/…/lac-megantic-criminal-trial-begins-sher…
http://www.newswire.ca/…/steelworkers-local-gives-70000-to-…
https://www.ble-t.org/pr/news/headline.asp?id=39797
http://hardingdefense.org
http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/steelworkers-local-gives-70000-to-railway-workers-defence-fund-515129641.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/lac-megantic-criminal-trial-begins-sherbrooke-1.4315201
http://jordanbarab.com/confinedspace/2017/10/24/lac-megantic-trial/

For further information on the case:

Harding Defense Committee
http://hardingdefense.org

Railroad Workers United
http://www.railroadworkersunited.org

Workers Solidarity Action Network
http://www.workerssolidarityactionnetwork.org


Production of Labor Video Project
http://www.laborvideo.org