Workers want to discuss problems at Eagle Industries plant that Mr. Bush helped to finance

NEW BEDFORD, MA — Today, members of the Eagle Industries Organizing Committee (EIOC) issued a personal invitation to Mr. William H.T. Bush, youngest brother of President George Herbert Walker Bush and uncle of the current President Bush to visit New Bedford and talk to workers at the troubled Eagle Industries facility. Mr. Bush is commonly called “Uncle Bucky” by the President and in the news media. Uncle Bucky Bush is the co-founder of the St. Louis-based investment firm Bush O’Donnell, source of the investment capital Eagle Industries used to buy the former Michael Bianco Inc. plant in New Bedford.

The workers’ letter notes that “Uncle Bucky” is a man of “great power and influence” and asks that he come to New Bedford see “how your investment is doing.” The letter closes by asking Mr. Bush to intervene with the company so that Eagle “will keep the promises made to us last November when Eagle took over from Bianco” to provide good jobs with security, better pay and benefits.

Uncle Bucky served as Missouri finance chair for both of President George W. Bush’s presidential campaigns. He was a director and investor in a controversial defense contractor St. Louis-based ESSI. Several ESSI executives faced criminal charges for back-dating stock options. The last criminal case ended with a guilty plea on July 31st by ESSI’s chief financial officer. The Securities and Exchange Commission may now pursue, at its discretion, civil action against executives and directors who participated in or profited from the back-dated stock options. Uncle Bucky has admitted he exercised options and sold ESSI shares in a transaction worth $450,000.

“Even though he is an important man and a close relative of Presidents, I hope he will understand our problems after he talks to us,” said Elisa Rios, a member of the Eagle Industries Organizing Committee.

“We don’t want the plant to close and we don’t want to lose our jobs, but things can’t keep going the way they are going,” said EIOC member Connie Cardoso “And I’ll bet Uncle Bucky doesn’t want to lose his investment. So we have something in common.”

The Eagle Industries Organizing Committee is a group of workers who asked UNITE HERE for assistance in organizing Eagle Industries so workers can receive better pay and benefits, safer working conditions and dignity. UNITE HERE is an international labor union representing 465,000 members in the apparel, textile, hotel, food service, gaming and laundry industries. www.unitehere.org.