Newark union workers leave picket line to help car crash victims

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/union_workers_leave_picket_lin.html

by Sharon Adarlo/The Star-Ledger Tuesday April 14, 2009, 7:58 PM

Members of the Newark laborers union Local 1153 were busy demonstrating this morning at Bloomfield Avenue and North 9th Street when a white Honda crossing Bloomfield struck a black Kia, causing the vehicle to flip over several times.

Instead of continuing their picket line, the approximately 35 construction workers rushed over to help the two injured victims, a mother and her teenage son, out of the wrecked vehicle that had landed on its roof, union officials said. The driver of the Honda was left unscathed.

"It was a pretty bad accident," said Thomas Melendez, union member and one of the rescuers.

The incident occurred at around 7:30 a.m. as the union was picketing in front of the Newark Schools Stadium, which is in the process of being demolished for a new arena, said Radames Acevedo, an organizer with the local union's main group, the Laborers' International Union of North America.

The union has been picketing at the stadium for more than a week because the Sparta-based demolition company, Grinelle, had not hired any Newark workers.

Acevedo said the woman driving the Honda crossed Bloomfield as the Kia was traveling down the road when the accident occurred.

FULL story at link.