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<div align="center"><b><font face="Arial">MEDIA ADVISORY </font></b><br>
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<font face="Arial"><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE </b></font>
March 6, 2007<br>
<br>
<font face="Arial"><b>Contact: </b></font><br>
Carmen Ortiz, Sister of Hector Rivas - 617-442-8245<br>
Jonathan Regis, Committee for Justice for Hector Rivas - 857-204-7357<br>
Rachel Nasca, Women's Fightback Network - 617-524-1535<br>
Dorotea Manuela, Committee for Justice for Hector Rivas - 617-922-5744<br>
<br>
<div align="center"><font face="Arial"><b>JOIN THE MEMORIAL RALLY FOR
JUSTICE FOR HECTOR RIVAS.<br>
ONE YEAR AFTER THE DEATH OF HECTOR RIVAS THE STRUGGLE<br>
AGAINST CORPORATE NEGLECT CONTINUES<br>
<br>
FRIDAY, MARCH 9 - 6:00 PM<br>
FREEPORT ST. BUS FACILITY</b></font><br>
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<br>
It has been one year since corporate negligence caused the death of
Hector Rivas, a mechanic for the Boston Public School buses. To
commemorate the life of Hector Rivas, demand justice and to defend the
health and safety of workers, students and the community, there will be
a special Memorial Candlelight Vigil Meeting held at 6:00 pm on Friday,
March 9, 2007, at the Freeport St. Bus Facility - Dorchester Ave. and
Freeport St. Join the family of Hector Rivas, the Team Unity city
councilors, community activists, students, mechanics and bus driver
union officers and workers as they pay their respects to the life of
Hector Rivas. Bishop Felipe Texiera and Rev. David Morales will be
leading the memorial rally.<br>
<br>
On March 9, 2006, Hector Rivas, a veteran mechanic for the Boston
Public School buses and a United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 1596 member,
died while at work as a result of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning from a
First Student service truck. An Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) investigation found that workers at the Freeport
St. Bus yard location were exposed to high CO levels, and that Hector
Rivas died with 11 times the allowable level of CO in his blood, due to
willful violations by the bus company of OSHA regulations. On April
18, 2006, another BPS bus mechanic, Miguel Camacho, suffered a
shattered pelvis resulting from an accident involving an illegally
modified airlift, also resulting in OSHA citations. The Committee for
Justice for Hector Rivas, a broad Committee that was formed to seek
justice for Hector Rivas and to defend the health and safety of
workers, students and the community includes representatives of the
Rivas family, City Councilors Felix Arroyo, Chuck Turner, Charles
Yancey and Sam Yoon, UAW Local 1596, United Steelworkers (USW) Local
8751, as well as clergy, labor and community activists. The Committee
is calling for an independent investigation into the death of Hector
Rivas and a full review of safety policies and practices related to
Boston school bus transportation. <br>
<br>
<div align="center">-30-<br>
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