[Peace] [Campuslabor] Flex-N-Gate event a GO, today Jan 28 at noon

[Chris Schwartz]

Thanks again to everyone who came out on Saturday. Altogether we had
about 45 people sign in for the meeting, and we had a great discussion
with everyone about ways we can work together. I know the workers who
were there really appreciated the support, and we're looking forward to
following up on next steps! Feel free to get in touch with any other
ideas.

>>> Ricky Baldwin  01/28/12 12:11 PM >>>
Once again this event is ON!  Repeat, this vent is a GO!

See you there!

 
Ricky Baldwin "Speak your mind even if your voice shakes." - Maggie Kuhn


________________________________
 From: Ricky Baldwin 
To: Ricky Baldwin ; socialist core ; prairie greens ; AWARE peace ; CU
Announce list ; Campus Labor Coalition ; catholic worker  
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2012 3:45 PM
Subject: RE: Toxic Employer - local FlexNGate workers speak out, Sat.
Jan 28 at noon
 
This event is ON!

See you tomorrow at noon!

Solidarity,
Ricky 
________________________________________
From: Ricky Baldwin [baldwinricky at yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 11:14 AM
To: socialist core; prairie greens; AWARE peace; CU Announce list;
Campus Labor Coalition; catholic worker
Cc: Ricky Baldwin
Subject: Toxic Employer - local FlexNGate workers speak out, Sat. Jan 28
at noon

Community support needed

This Saturday a group of workers is coming forward to describe hideous
health & safety conditions at the Flex-N-Gate plant in Urbana (home base
for a huge car parts manufacturing operation that spans several states
and a couple countries).
The local plant makes bumpers.  Workers there are sometimes knocked
down/out by the bumpers on the line, splashed with painful acids and
toxic chemicals they take home on their clothes, and are not given the
proper safety equipment or information in a language they can
understand.  Many of the workers are Congolese French speakers or
Spanish speakers from Latin America.  There may also be toxic chemicals
(such as chromium) leaking into the surrounding community, but we do not
know that yet for sure.
According to OSHA, workers who breathe hexavalent chromium compounds at
their jobs for many years may be at increased risk of developing lung
cancer. Breathing high levels of hexavalent chromium can irritate or
damage the nose, throat, and lungs. Irritation or damage to the eyes and
skin can occur if hexavalent chromium contacts these organs in high
concentrations or for a prolonged period of time.  Direct eye contact
with chromic acid or chromate dusts can cause permanent eye damage. 
Prolonged skin contact can result in dermatitis and skin ulcers. Some
workers develop an allergic sensitization to chromium.
Saturday's event is a big step for these workers, who have been trying
to organize a union with UAW and 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, who is a very wealthy man.  The
owner of Flex-N-gate (now Guardian West) is Shahid Khan, a graduate of
UI and a major donor as well as contractor.  Khan owns the Urbana
Country Club and Flight Star out at Willard airport in addition to
recently purchasing the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It takes courage for these workers to stand up to this wealthy and
powerful man, who has subjected them to textbook union-busting tactics -
captive audience meetings, etc.  It would really help bolster this
campaign if these workers could see that this community supports them.

Here's the time and place to be:

Saturday January 28, 2012 @ 12pm
Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center
1001 Killarney Street
Urbana, IL 61801

If you can't make it there, the workers have a community support letter
for individuals and organizations to sign onto in support.  If you'd
like a copy, shoot us an email at Jobs With Justice (rbaldwin at seiu73.org
or dlj725 at hughes.net).
We're in this together, folks.
Ricky Baldwin
SEIU Local 73

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