[Peace-discuss] [OccupyCU] Flex-N-Gate flier revisions / full-text / link to google doc pdf file / where to look for more information

[pat.simpson at comcast.net]

Great work, Karen! 











----- Original Message -----


From: "Karen Medina" <kmedina67 at gmail.com> 
To: "Peace-discuss List" <Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>, "Sarah Lazare" <sarah.lazare at gmail.com>, "Ricky Baldwin" <baldwinricky at yahoo.com>, occupyCU at lists.chambana.net 
Sent: Saturday, February 4, 2012 12:39:02 PM 
Subject: [OccupyCU] Flex-N-Gate flier revisions / full-text / link to google doc pdf file / where to look for more information 

RE: Flex-N-Gate flier revision 

I received a few suggestions for the Flex-N-Gate flier and think they 
are all great changes. The  main suggestion was to borrow a line from 
the Jobs With Justice letter of support and put that line in our flier 
as well, so I added the following sentence, "We are hopeful that 
Flex-N-Gate will respect workers’ rights and become a strong force for 
creating the good, stable jobs that our community so badly needs." 

The newest version of the flier is in google docs: 
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BwsZd30sPyMUNDg1ZjljNjYtMWJmOC00MjFjLTgyZjgtMzhhNmE3ZTNhMjkx 

If you want any more information on the issues: 
Justice At Flex-N-Gate is a good source: http://justiceatflexngate.org/ 
United Auto Workers: http://www.uaw.org/story/together-we-win 
OSHA's hexavalent chromium: 
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=17052 

----- And now the full-text of the flier reads:  ---- 

 Support Flex-N-Gate Workers 

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 intended to protect against unsafe 
working conditions at the plant. At this plant, the employees use 
chemicals like hexavalent chromium for chrome plating of the bumpers 
they produce. 

[“The company has never told us what chemicals we are breathing and 
getting on our skin, or how they can make us sick.”] 

According to OSHA, workers exposed to hexavalent chromium, a powerful 
lung carcinogen, can develop lung cancer and damage to the nose, 
throat and respiratory system. Inhaling the chemical's fumes can cause 
allergic reactions or asthmatic symptoms, such as wheezing and 
shortness of breath. 

[OSHA requires that workers must know the proper way to perform a task 
in order to minimize their exposure. Employers are required to provide 
appropriate protective clothing and equipment. The employer must not 
allow any worker to remove contaminated objects from the workplace. 
The Cr(VI) standards also include requirements for change rooms, 
washing facilities, and eating and drinking areas to minimize 
exposure.] 

The workers have called OSHA several times to report health and safety 
violations at the plant.  As a result they have been facing reprisals 
by the employer. 

The owner of Flex-N-Gate, Shahid Khan, is a major donor to the 
University of Illinois.  Khan owns the Urbana Country Club, is 
Chairman of Flightstar aircraft management and charter, and now also 
owns Florida’s Jacksonville Jaguars. 
The local plant is not unionized. 

We are hopeful that Flex-N-Gate will respect workers’ rights and 
become a strong force for creating the good, stable jobs that our 
community so badly needs. 

If you would like to sign onto a letter in support of the employees, 
email Jobs With Justice (rbaldwin at seiu73.org or dlj725 at hughes.net). 

[Flex-N-Gate  Corporation employs over 12,450 people at 50 
manufacturing and 9 product development and engineering facilities 
throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and 
Spain. And takes in $3 billion in revenue.] 

[The Guardian West plant in Urbana is 138,000 sq. ft.  They do metal 
stamping, mechanical assemblies, and chrome and nickel plating.] 
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