One week after Mercedes-Benz ended its partnership with Kingspan
SANTA ANA, Calif., December 14, 2021–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Kingspan manufacturing workers in Santa Ana held a candlelight vigil today in solidarity with thousands marching in London on the 4 ½ year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire that killed 72 people in the worst residential fire in the United Kingdom since World War II. Workers in Santa Ana are calling on Kingspan to listen to them about workplace safety. Grenfell fire survivors and bereaved are fighting to hold Kingspan accountable for safe homes.
“Today, we as Kingspan workers stand united in solidarity with all those in London seeking justice for the 72 people who lost their lives in the horrific Grenfell Tower fire,” said Lucas Hernandez, a welder at Kingspan. “Here in Santa Ana, we ask Kingspan to listen to our health and safety concerns for our own well-being, our families, and our community.”
A partnership announced December 1, 2021, between Kingspan and the Mercedes Formula One Racing Team ended suddenly on December 8. It was opposed by Grenfell United, which represents the survivors and bereaved of the Grenfell Tower fire, as well as Michael Gove, a member of Parliament.
In a public statement about the cancellation of the Mercedes partnership, Kingspan asserted that it played no role in the design or construction of the tower’s cladding system, that only a small percentage of K15 insulation was used in the building, and that the product was…