Justice For UCLA CWA UPTE Lab Worker Sheri Sangji-Continue Criminal Prosecution Of UC Boss

Justice For UCLA CWA UPTE Lab Worker Sheri Sangji-Continue Criminal Prosecution Of UC Boss And Regents For Negligence In Death
http://www.upte.org/takeaction/index.html

Background Info and Update on Case
The arraignment is scheduled for March 7, and the judge indicated there will be no further continuances. Although the evidence in support of the felony Labor Code charges is solid – and we believe that a criminal trial, guilty verdict, and jail time would be the single most effective deterrent to unsafe laboratory conditions in the future at UCLA and at other universities – the DA is likely to settle the case without a trial. We are concerned that he will settle the felony prosecution with plea(s) to misdemeanors and inadequate or no punishment, and hope we can influence a settlement.

This is an egregious case, one of the strongest ever referred to a local prosecutor by Cal/OSHA’s Bureau of Investigations. Sheri Sangji was a promising young woman working in a lab to save money to return to school, and died as a result of criminal acts by the University of California. The Labor Code criminal charges are based on violations of three sections of the California Administrative Code – which UCLA admitted it violated.

UPTE is requesting that as many members as possible write personal letters to the DA. We believe that Sheri and her family deserve justice and that a fair outcome will send a message around the country that academic labs must provide a safe working environment for their workers, whether student or staff.

Contact information for Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley:
Email: webmail [at] da.lacounty.gov
Call him at: (213)974-3512; Fax (213) 974-1484

Letter to the DA:
Your letter should be personal and in your own words. Here are some points you may wish to make:

Thank the DA for prosecuting this case – it’s the first of its kind and potentially a landmark case.

Ask for justice for the Sangji family and for Sheri. Naveen, Sheri’s sister, says that Sheri’s death has destroyed her family.

Ask for a fair outcome for this case.
Urge the DA to have defendants plead guilty to a felony or a misdemeanor.
Require a full sentencing report to reveal more details about what happened and what UCLA has and hasn't done to make sure labs are safe.
At least a suspended sentence and supervised probation for Harran, to include substantial community service in a burn unit to understand the suffering he caused to Sheri.
A substantial fine to UCLA to go to a nonprofit entity to provide training on lab safety to lab workers at UCLA, with supervised probation via an outside entity (or a joint labor-management committee) to assure that an effective Injury & Illness Prevention Program is in place.

Give personal details if pertinent. If you work in a lab and have personal observations on lab safety or related safety issues, make them. Recent examples showing what still needs to be done are especially pertinent.

Be clear and concise - however, long or short your letter is.

Email your letter to: webmail [at] da.lacounty.gov and BCC (blind carbon copy) to uptela [at] netwood.net.

Email your letter BEFORE March 7, 2012, when the defendants will be arraigned downtown.
If you can go to the arraignment, please contact the UPTE office in Los Angeles (310.443.5484,uptela [at] netwood.net).