FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Joe Drexler
         PACE Special Projects Director 
         (615) 834-8590
Texas Congressman Criticizes Crown Central Petroleum for Lockout of Union Workers
Speech made on Floor of the House - Covered by C-Span

NASHVILLE, TN. - FEB. 2, 2000 -- The Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical & Energy Workers International Union (PACE) issued the following news release:

Houston-area Congressman Gene Green (29th Congressional District) today lashed out at Baltimore-based Crown Central Petroleum on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for continuing, what he called, "one of the longest lockouts in U.S. history."

Holding up a T-shirt which said, "Boycott Crown Gas," he called on consumers to not buy Crown gasoline and to support the boycott, which has been endorsed by countless labor, religious, environmental and civil rights organizations.

"We need to end this madness," said Congressman Green in referring to the four- year lockout which began on February 5, 1996, after workers, represented by the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union (PACE), disclosed to the company that they had no intention of striking. He stated that the only possible cause of the lockout was that "Crown wanted to break the union."

Congressman Green talked about the human suffering caused by the lockout, and about the courage of union workers fighting back through their boycott effort.

"Locked-out workers have traveled throughout Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama to promote the boycott," said Green. "The boycott has been successful in decreasing sales of Crown gasoline and products," he added.

"We applaud Congressman Green for speaking out in the House, and on national television for the locked-out Crown workers," said PACE Executive Vice President Robert E. Wages.

The lockout of 252 union workers commenced at the company's main refinery in Pasadena, Texas, on February 5, 1996. Since that time, PACE has been conducting an extensive campaign and boycott against Crown.

Crown hired an investment banker in February to sell the company; however, few, if any, bids for the company have surfaced.

Since the lockout, Crown has suffered repeated financial losses and a rash of civil rights, environmental and shareholder lawsuits.

PACE, based in Nashville, Tenn., represents 320,000 workers in the paper, chemical, oil and automotive supply industries.