WHO: A coalition of nearly 30 environmental, women's rights, human rights, and consumer advocate groups petitioning California's Attorney General to initiate legal action against California-based Unocal.

Harvey Rosenfield
Consumer Rights Advocate

Ronnie Dugger
Alliance For Democracy

Kathy Spillar & Mavis Leno
Feminist Majority Foundation

Professor Robert Benson
Loyola Law School

James Lafferty
National Lawyers Guild

Randall Hayes
Rainforest Action Network

Taw Myo Shwe
Burma Forum

Alex Perez
Asian/Pacific Gays and Friends

WHAT: Press Conference featuring petitioners asking California Attorney General Dan Lungren to revoke Unocal's corporate charter. The petition outlines violations by Unocal of environmental, women's rights, and human rights laws over the past four decades. Following press conference petitioners will present the petition to the Attorney General or his representative. This 120 page scholarly petition was prepared by attorneys from the National Lawyers Guild.

WHEN: Thursday, September 10, 1998 at 11:00 a.m. 300 S. Spring Street, Ronald Reagan State Office Building, Los Angeles, CA

Allegations against Unocal include environmental devastation, unethical and unfair treatment of workers, deception of shareholders, usurpation of political power, undermining of U.S. foreign policy, and complicity in human rights violations against women, gays, laborers, ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples by foreign governments with which it does business.

The New York Attorney General recently used a similar law to ask a court to revoke the charters of two tobacco industry "research" corporations. A judge in Alabama recently asked a court to revoke the charters of the tobacco companies themselves. The Petition opens a new legal strategy in an historic attempt by citizens groups to challenge corporate abuse.

###
Editor's Note: The petition is strictly embargoed until the press conference takes place on September 10, 1998. To receive a complete copy of the 120 page petition against Unocal or to arrange interviews with members of the coalition contact Mary Hood at 213/651-0495