[Peace] Rally against the owner of Flex-N-Gate Thursday, April 26, 2012 12:00 Noon. Huff Hall

[Karen Medina]

[I am forwarding an invitation. If there are corrections, send them to
the peace list AND make them to the original event post:
http://www.facebook.com/events/156159101177066/ -karen medina]

Rally against the owner of Flex-N-Gate
Thursday, April 26, 2012
12:00 Noon.
Huff Hall on the University of Illinois campus, 1206 South Fourth
Street, Champaign Illinois

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. 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-Gate 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.

For more information about Khan and Flex-N-Gate:
http://www.freep.com/article/20111213/NEWS05/112130398/Former-workers-seek-state-investigation-of-Chrome-Craft

http://justiceatflexngate.org/video-flex-n-gate-workers-take-a-stand-for-safe-healthy-workplaces/

http://www.ahs.illinois.edu/Dedication.aspx