Crown's shareholders filed complaints with the SEC in August and most recently last week, alleging that the company failed to disclose labor and environmental issues that could affect the company's bottom line. The most recent complaint indicated that a major contractor may soon terminate its dealings with the company, but that Crown did not properly inform its shareholders. The contractor, Statoil, reportedly told Crown Central Petroleum that it would not renew its fuel processing contract with the company, worth at least $15-$18 million, if the labor dispute with the PACE union (Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy workers International Union) is not resolved. PACE members have been locked out since February 1996. The contract also provides that Statoil may end the contract early in the event of a sale, as is currently being considered by Crown management.

"The shareholders, and any potential purchasers, have a right to know that Crown's major contractor has apparently stated that it will shun the company in the year 2000 due to the labor dispute," said Drexler.

PACE urged the SEC to look into the complaint and take appropriate enforcement action, and to investigate other shareholder allegations including failure to report on the PACE-coordinated boycott. The boycott has escalated over the last year, partly as a result of a recent endorsement by Rev. Jesse Jackson. Of particular concern to Jackson and many others is the loss of virtually all African-American workers at the facility as a result of the lockout.

Additional information on the Crown Boycott is available on the worldwide web at www.crownboycott.org. In addition, PACE has learned that the shareholder complaints are available at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~gnproject/crown.htm