The January 7th “Old School” Violent Union Attack
The next morning, January 7, Pastor Knezevich told another Dyer Baptist Pastor, David Atkinson, about the encounter with Williamson and his concern that “there could be trouble from the union.”
Ron Ware is the Business Manager of Local 395.
As Business Manager, Ware is responsible for the management of all elected officers and employees, and their day-to-day activities.
The duties of Williamson and Veach as Business Agents of Local 395 included overseeing signatory contractors and engaging in organizing activities.
Ware spoke to Williamson at 11:06 a.m. on January 7, and they discussed efforts “to get a union contractor to perform that work” for Dyer Baptist Church.
Williamson returned to the job site on January 7 and entered with Veach.
From his position on the manlift, plaintiff Lindner told Williamson that he could not be on the site, that he was interfering with D5’s work, was trespassing, and was not covered by insurance.
Williamson responded that Lindner needed to come down and make him leave.
Lindner called for plaintiff Harper.
Ware spoke to Williamson at 11:06 a.m. on January 7, and they discussed efforts “to get a union contractor to perform that work” for Dyer Baptist Church.
Williamson returned to the job site on January 7 and entered with Veach.
From his position on the manlift, plaintiff Lindner told Williamson that he could not be on the site, that he was interfering with D5’s work, was trespassing, and was not covered by insurance.
Williamson responded that Lindner needed to come down and make him leave.
Lindner called for plaintiff Harper.
When Lindner descended from the manlift and told Williamson to leave, Williamson stated this was a union area, called Lindner a “cunt,” and grabbed Lindner’s safety harness.
When Williamson released his grip, he stated D5 should sign a labor agreement and warned Lindner that because of the refusal, “I’m taking this back to Old School.” [Emphasis added.]
Lindner saw Williamson leave in a black Ford Expedition or Explorer.
The incident had lasted 10 to 15 minutes.
Later that day, at around 3:00 p.m., Pastor Atkinson saw four or five vehicles pull into the parking lot between the church building and the job site “almost in unison, doors shutting in unison, just kind of this clockwork thing.”
The men, approximately 11 or 12 in number, “walked briskly…on a mission, with purpose.”
Atkinson saw the men go onto the construction site, and a few minutes later “saw guys in their work clothes kind of running in all directions…across 213th Street…across Calumet Avenue not waiting for red and green lights, just running.”
Pastor Atkinson called 911 when he saw the “panic-stricken men fleeing the site.” [Emphasis added.]
Williamson and Veach were among the Local 395 members who had come to the job site that afternoon.
Two of the vehicles photographed leaving the job site were owned by Local 395 and used exclusively by Williamson and Veach.
The Local 395 group rushed the job site, picked up cribbage (wood used in shipping steel) and attacked plaintiffs.
There were no picket signs, banners, leaflets, inflatable rats, rat signs or other indicia explaining why the men were there.
Harper testified in his deposition that:
When they were chasing me, these guys were yelling at me this is 395’s
area, you fucking scabs. The one guy was yelling I’m going to kill you….So I was running basically for my life because you didn’t know what these guys were going to do because they were picking up clubs and picking up wood that could potentially end your life if you get hit in the head with it. [Emphasis added.]
Local 395 members grabbed plaintiff Kudingo walking to a port-a-potty, punched him, threw him to the ground, and beat him by clubbing and kicking Kudingo in the face, arms, back and body.
They pummeled Kudingo, breaking his jaw in three places.
Kudingo heard the sounds of his jaw breaking as he was kicked with steel-toed boots.
As he was being beaten, Kudingo “was screaming for [his] life.”
During the assault, Kudingo heard Local 395 members yelling
- “This is union work!”
- “This is 395’s work!”
- “This is 395’s territory!”
- “Don’t come back!,” and
- “Scab mother fucker!.” [Emphasis added.]
When Lindner saw the attack on Kudingo, he yelled for the Local 395 members to get off of him.
A faction of the group broke off and charged plaintiffs Harper, Lindner, and Weil.
Lindner ran, scaled the construction fence, and called 911. [Emphasis added.]
A portion of the Local 395 group caught plaintiff Joseph Weil and beat, clubbed him with cribbage, and stomped on him.
Weil suffered physical injuries, including but not limited to a boot-shaped welt mark imprinted on his back.
Harper ran and squeezed through a small opening in the construction fence.
Plaintiff Tonnesen escaped after being hit.
The Local 395 members left in different directions.
They departed “quicker than they pulled in…The cars pulled out one after the other.”
Harper and Tonnesen took pictures of vehicles owned by Local 395 as they were leaving the scene.
Harper identified Tom Williamson, Sr. in one of the photos he took.
These goons behaved like animals.
Indiana honors Illinois carry permits.
Something they might want to consider If there’s a next time.