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August 23, 2002 Dear Secretary Chao: We are writing in support of the petition to the National Administrative Office (NAO) regarding the dire threat to the health and safety of workers at the Autotrim and Customtrim factories owned by Breed Technologies. We believe that this situation calls for urgent action by the Administration not only to protect these workers, but also as a signal of our government’s commitment to the effective enforcement of the labor rights provisions in the North American Free Trade Agreement as the United States moves forward with talks on a broader hemispheric trade agreement. The NAO submission about these plants is a well documented case of work-related injuries. We believe that the formation of this working group, while an important step, is an insufficient response to the issues raised by the Autotrim/Customtrim case. We recommend the working group include some of the workers who submitted the NAO complaint and that the working group respond to the recommendations for protecting worker safety submitted by the petitioners in this case. The workers involved in this case have been waiting patiently for five years for remedial action. If the working group does not produce an effective remedy within one year, we urge you to request the establishment of an Evaluation Committee of Experts to make recommendations regarding this case. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. Respectfully,
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