Last month members of the California Coalition for Workers Memorial Day accompanied movie propmaker and former Downey Studio worker Steve Basile on a visit to the San Carlos, California headquarters of Tesla Motors, Inc. Together they asked Tesla, makers of high-end electric cars, to consider the number of health problems that have been connected with the Downey site before putting a manufacturing facility in that city. Tesla Vice President for Communications Ricardo Reyes assured the group at that time that the company had no intention of making a decision in haste, and said Tesla would make arrangements to meet with workers who have been injured in Downey.

One month later with all calls and emails to Tesla unanswered, the worker safety advocates were joined by the Raging Grannies in demonstrating in front of the car company's tony Menlo Park showroom. Protesters carried signs saying "Downey's Brownfields Aren't Green" and sang of solidarity with workers, then held a press conference attended by both corporate and independent media reporters.

Read more | Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | Video | California Coalition for Workers Memorial Day