August 15 - Run Down Like a Dog

On this day in Labor History the year was 1989.  That was the day that Gerry Horgan was killed while walking the picket line.  Gerry was a chief steward for the Communication Workers of America Local 1103.  The Communication Workers were on strike against the telecommunications giant NYNEX company, which became part of the present day Verizon company.  At issue was management’s proposal to shift a greater share of the health care costs to the workers.  The strike wore on for a total of seventeen weeks.  In total, nearly 60,000 telephone workers in the Northeast participated in the walk out.  These included both CWA members as well as workers who were members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.  Gerry Horgan was part of the strike in the town of Valhalla,New York, about twenty-five miles north of New York City.   Gerry was struck by a vehicle driven by a strikebreaker while walking the picket line.  The driver was the daughter of one of the company managers.  She was never charged for hitting Gerry, although some at the scene claimed she accelerated after hitting him with her car.  One witness, Charles Pearce, recalled that “Gerry was rundown like a dog.”   The CWA honors Gerry’s memory by wearing red t-shirts.  In 2010, a CWA article titled “Why We Wear Red,” explained,“The idea started small, we asked our Members to wear red on Thursday to remind the company of the blood they had spilled and to show support for our fallen Brother.  But it quickly spread nationwide as a sign of solidarity every Thursday at CWA locations.”  Gerry Horgan was killed standing up for the rights of workers and fighting for a better tomorrow for all workers.