[OccupyCU] 4-26 noon, rally @ the Khan Annex (north side of Huff Hall) to ask the University to reconsider Khan’s alumni award

[ya'aQov]

*Dear Friends,

Please join the Undergraduate-Graduate Alliance (UGA) for a 12:00pm rally
Thursday, April 26th at the Khan Annex (north side of Huff Hall) to ask the
University to reconsider Khan’s alumni award.

Shahid Khan, billionaire and U of I alumni, is receiving one of two
“University of Illinois Alumni Achievement Awards” at this year’s
commencement ceremony. Khan is the owner of Flex-N-Gate, a company that
makes car bumpers. Some of the company’s plants (including the one in
Urbana) have forced workers to handle hazardous materials, like hexavalent
chromium, without the proper safety equipment. In March a “Speak Out” was
held at Channing-Murray in Urbana for Flex-N-Gate workers to share their
experiences with the community:
http://justiceatflexngate.org/video-flex-n-gate-workers-take-a-stand-for-safe-healthy-workplaces/

In addition to owning Flex-N-Gate, Khan recently became owner of the
Jacksonville Jaguars. While he is willing and able to invest in new
business ventures, he and his company have refused to invest in better
environmental and safety conditions for his Flex-N-Gate workers. The 26th
is the day of the NFL draft, so we stand with UAW workers rallying in NYC
on the same day to ask that Khan improve conditions for Flex-N-Workers.

Despite his company’s bad business practices, the University of Illinois
has still chosen to honor Khan with an alumni award. While Khan is a major
donor to the University—he and his wife recently donated $10 million to
build Huff Hall's Khan Annex to house The Center on Health, Aging, and
Disability—he does not represent an ethical, socially-responsible role
model for graduating students and U of I alumni.

If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact me. The flyer
for the event is attached and here is the link to the Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/events/156159101177066/

Hope to see you on the 26th!
Katie

-- 
Katie Walkiewicz
PhD Candidate
Department of English
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
608 South Wright Street
Urbana, Illinois 61801
*
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