[258] in peace2
Stop Dow Chemicals and Union Carbide merger
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Vinay Kumar - matching athena acco)
Thu May 11 00:54:15 2000
From: Vinay Kumar - matching athena account <vkumar@ai.mit.edu>
Message-Id: <10005110451.AA27520@massa-intermedia.mit.edu>
To: asha-strategy@MIT.EDU, aid-boston@egroups.com, peace-list@MIT.EDU,
secular@MIT.EDU
Date: Thu, 11 May 100 00:51:04 -0400 (EDT)
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The Bhopal Gas Leak caused by the Union Carbide plant in Dec 1984 has so far
killed over 16,000 people. Even today, 10-15 people die every month from
exposure related causes. Union Carbide has refused to show up in the courts
or pay just compensation. Now, the chemical giant Dow Chemicals is planning
to merge with Union Carbide. With this merger, the name "Union Carbide" will
disappear and could lead to people forgetting one of the most macabre instance
of corporate crime.
In order to protest Union Carbide's inaction and to try and prevent the merger,
a DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY CALL IN DAY is proposed on THURSDAY MAY 10TH, one day
before their share holder meeting.
WHAT YOU CAN DO :
Barrage the following Dow Chemical's phone and fax
and email lines and express your resentment :
PHONES :
Main Line : 517-636-1000
Media Relations : Anne Ainsworth : 517-636-3920
Investor Relations : 800-422-8193
FAX :
Shareholder services : 517-636-1830
EMAIL :
Media Relations : amainsworth@dow.com
Board members :
Harold Shapiro, president Princeton University :
hts@Princeton.EDU and profhts@Princeton.EDU
Jacqueline K. Barton Professor in Chemistry, Caltech
jkbarton@its.caltech.edu
The email addresses of the CEO and chairman are not
public but you can try these :
CEO William S. Stavropoulos :
wsstavropoulos@dow.com or
wstavropoulos@dow.com
Chairman Frank Popoff :
fpopoff@dow.com
CFO J Pedro Reinhard :
jpreinhard@dow.com or
jreinhard@dow.com
-------------------------- SAMPLE LETTER --------------------------------
Dear Prof. Jacqueline K. Barton:
I am writing to you to call your attention to the Union Carbide created
disaster in Bhopal, India in Dec 1984, on the eve of this years shareholder's
meeting of DOW Chemicals on May 10th, 2000.
I understand that DOW Chemicals and Union Carbide have discussed
a possible merger of the two companies and that this process has
progressed quite far along.
As a member of the board which advises the company I would like to
remind you of the following.
1. Union Carbide is responsible for the worst human tragedy and
industrial disaster in modern history. Since the disaster took place
on Dec. 2-3 1984, over 16000 people have died due to UC leaked
toxic gases into the atmosphere. More than 200,000 people were affected
and many suffered serious injury and bodily harm.
2. Union Carbide still continues to evade owning complete responsibility for
the incident. A settlement with the Government of India was made for
approximately $470 million by UC. However the victims of the tragedy and
their families maintain that this amount is considerably lower than
international standards for compensation in corporate malpractices.
3. Union Carbide, many of it's officials, including prime accused ex-Chairman
of UC, Warren Anderson, have criminal cases pending against them in Indian
Courts where they have failed to appear for several years. These courts
have declared them "proclaimed absconders" which in the US may amount to
being declared "fugitives from justice".
4. As recently as Nov. 1999, a fresh case has been filed against UC and Warren
Anderson in New York, on behalf of the victims of Bhopal tragedy.
5. A large number of progressive world citizens, national and international
non-governmental organization and human-rights organizations support the
struggle for justice in Bhopal including bringing Union Carbide to heel and
seeking exemplary damages against it for causing such a grievous human
tragedy and environmental disaster.
In light of all these issues, DOW considering a merger with UC seems
inexplicable to me unless DOW wants to inherit a legacy which includes
the worst human tragedy of modern times, the worst industrial disaster and
the worst record of corporate irresponsibility in the world. Of course, I
should also point out that DOW and DOW executives will inherit the legal woes
of UC and its executives.
The two best decisions that you can possibly make, therefore, are:
1) in the interest of DOW and its shareholders call a complete halt
to the planned merger of DOW with Union Carbide;
2) strongly encourage UC and its executives to pay attention to their
legal and moral responsibilities in the Bhopal gas tragedy that
it has created.
I hope and pray for your better judgement.
Sincerely,
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