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

[Karen Medina]

Chris,

AWARE decided last night, as a community organization, to back the workers.

In solidarity,
Karen Medina
member of AWARE, the Anti-War, Anti-Racism Effort of Champaign-Urbana Illinois

On Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 11:49 AM, Chris Schwartz <cschwartz at uaw.net> wrote:
> 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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-- 
-- karen medina
"The really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." - Mark Twain