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<DIV><FONT size=4 face=Arial>We need as many people and organizations as
possible to attend the Jobs with Justice meeting tomorrow Saturday Feb. 18th at
10am at the Channing Murray Foundation ( S.E. corner of Oregen and Mathews -
east basement door ( Red Herring restaurant ) ).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4 face=Arial>We have tenative plans on how to expand
the fight for the Flex N Gate Workers struggle for Union representation, but we
need your input and ideas to help make it happen.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4 face=Arial>See you tomorrow.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4 face=Arial>David Johnson</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4 face=Arial>Central Illinois Jobs with Justice</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=dlj725@hughes.net href="mailto:dlj725@hughes.net">David Johnson</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Friday, February 17, 2012 2:03 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> FLEX N GATE WORKERS FIGHT FOR HEALTH, LIVING WAGES AND
JUSTICE IN URBANA ILLINOIS</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=6 face=Arial><STRONG>CENTRAL ILLINOIS </STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=6 face=Arial>JOBS WITH JUSTICE</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=6 face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=5 face=Arial>FLEX N GATE WORKERS FIGHT FOR HEALTH,
LIVING WAGES AND JUSTICE IN URBANA ILLINOIS</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=5 face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>WHY A BILLIONAIRE
CANT AFFORD SAFETY EQUIPMENT OR LIVING WAGES ?</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>Billionaire Shahid Kahn, owner of Flex N
Gate Incorporated, manafactures bumpers for the automobile industry and employs
over 12,450 Workers at 50 manafacturing and 9 product development and
engineering facilities throughout Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Spain and
the United States, with revenue in excess of 3-BILLION dollars per
year.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>Kahn has donated millions of dollars to the
University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign over the years, with several plaques
and buildings on the U of I campaus with his name on them.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>Kahn is also Chairman of Flightstar
Aircraft Management, owner of the Urbana Illinois Country Club and a 223 foot
yacht worth 112 MILLION dollars.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>Kahn most recently has also purchased
the Jacksonville Florida Jaguars football tean for a cool 760 MILLION
dollars.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>In early December 2011, Workers at Flex N
Gate's Guardian West plant in Urbana Illinois, filed complaints with the U.S.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration ( OSHA ) alleging more than
30 violations of OSHA standards.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>Many of the violations are related to
exposure to hexavalent chromium, which can cause cancer when Workers breathe the
chemicals fumes or have skin contact with the
chemical.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>Exposure to hexavalent also causes danage
to the nose, throat and respiratory system as well as allergic reactions and
asthmatic symptoms that includes wheezing and shortness of
breathe.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>OSHA requires that Workers must know the
proper way to perform a task in order to minimaize exposure and Employers
are required to provide appropriate protective clothing and equipment. This also
includes requirements for change rooms, washing facilities and eating and
drinking areas to minimize exposure.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>The OSHA complaints filed by Flex N Gate
Workers state that ;</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>1) The company has not provided sufficient
training and communication on what chemicals Workers are exposed to and the
potential adverse health effects</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>2) The company does not give Workers access
to the proper personal protection equipment</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>3) The company's practices and procedures
subjects Workers to unsafe conditions.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>In addition to the OSHA complaints public
records from the city of Urbana reveal a history of unsafe conditions in
the Flex N Gate plant resulting in several fires over the years dating
back to 2004 and as recent as August 2011.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>According to reports by the Urbana
Fire Department Flex N Gate has had a pattern of problems resulting in fires due
to extremely dirty filters and untidy conditions throughout the
plant.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>With all of these dangerous conditions the
Flex N Gate Workers are paid wages that keep them hovering at the poverty line
and a system of management pitting the various groups of Workers ( White,
African American, Latino and French speaking African Congolese ) against
each other with some getting more priviledges and better working conditions
while others ( especialy the Congolese Workers ) are given few if
any priviledges and do the majority of the dirty and dangerous
work.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>There has also been a series of
retaliations against Flex N Gate Workers who have complained at
the plant about the conditions as well those who have gone public with
their story. Most recently the retaliation has expanded outside of the Flex
N Gate plant.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>On the weekend of February 11th and 12th,
Congolese Flex N Gate Workers and their families living at the Continental Plaza
and Stoneleigh apartment complexes received letters from their landlord - Royce
and Brinkmeyer Apartments - stating that the company will NOT renew their
leases. The letter went on to say that the landlord has had " less than
satisfactory " with these tenants. After an investigation by Flex N Gate
supporters ( knocking on every single apartment door in both complexes and
talking to residents ) NO ONE else in the apartment complex has received such a
letter.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>The Flex N Gate Workers who received
these letters, none of them were behind on their rent, or ever received
warnings for making noise or not properly maintaining their apartments or for
anything else.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>UPDATE !</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>Within 5-hours after Central Illinois Jobs
with Justice sent out an e-mail blast to it's supporters and allies within the
Champaign-Urbana community Tuesday morning of Valentines Day, Royce and
Brinkmeyer's Chief Operating Officer Colin Carlier, spent Valentines Day
evening hand delivery letters to the Flex N Gate Congolese Workers at their
apartments offering them the oppurtunity to renew their
leases.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>With this victory behind us we still have a
lot of work to do in order to force Flex N Gate owner Shahid Kahn to spend the
necessary money to provide proper safety equipment, training, and overall
workplace safety as well as ending the abusive and manipulative working
conditions and not interfere in the Flex N Gate Workers rights to form a Union
in order to receive decent wages, benefits and working
conditions.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>Central Illinois Jobs with Justice has
multiple events already planned for the remainder of February and March and
however long it takes to achieve justice for these
Workers.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>We have also made arrangements for a
documentary film to be made about the Flex N Gate Workers struggle against a
greedy 1-percenter, Shahid Kahn, who would rather spend close to a BILLION
dollars on such things as Football teams and a 223 foot yacht, instead of
providing safe working conditions, benefits and decent wages to his employees,
who are the ones who essentialy create ALL of his extreme
wealth.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>If you want to support the struggle of the
Flex N Gate Workers in Urbana Illinois, you can sign a letter of support at the
link below and e-mailing it to <A
href="mailto:rbaldwin@seiu73.org">rbaldwin@seiu73.org</A> or printing it,
signing and mailing it to ; </FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>Central Illinois Jobs with
Justice</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>801 E. California</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>Urbana, Illinois
61802</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>David Johnson</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>Central Illinois Jobs
withJustice</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial>Champaign-Urbana
Illinois</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4 face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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