Comité Fronterizo
de Obrer@s
CFO

For the labor rights and all human rights of the maquiladora workers

Fun-Time International Inc. is a private company headquartered in Philadelphia that designs and manufactures dozens of different types of " plastic novelty drinking straws, blow-molded bottles, and stemware." The company owns more than 50 patents, including the registered trademark Krazy Straw®.

Krazy Straw products are made in the Mexican city of Piedras Negras , State of Coahuila , by more than sixty workers in the maquiladora Mex-Star, which is property of Fun-Time International. Among the retailers of these products are Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, General Mills and the Walt Disney Company.

In its website, Fun-Time lists the following stores as selling Krazy Straws:

Albertson's
Arne's
Bashas'
D&B Shops
Dollar General
Dollar Tree Stores
Eckerd Drug Stores
Factory Card Outlet Stores
Family Dollar Stores
Farm Fresh Supermarkets
Food 4 Less
Foodtown Supermarkets
Fred Meyer
Freds
Genuardi's Supermarkets
Giant Foods Inc.
Giant Supermarkets
H.E. Butt Grocery Stores
Ingles Super Markets
Kerr Drug Store
Kings Super Markets
K-Mart
Kroger Stores
Le Gourmet Chef
Meijers
Osco Drug Stores
Paper Warehouse
Party America
Party City
Party Experience
Party Fair
Partyland
Pathmark Supermarkets
Randalls/Tom Thumb Stores
Roundys
Save a Lot Stores
Save On Drug Stores
Schnucks Supermarkets
Shop N Save Stores
Shoprite Supermarkets
Spartan Stores
Stop & Shop Supermarkets
Super A Food Store
Target
Tops Supermarkets
Toys R Us
Walgreens
Wal-Mart

Los trabajadores y Fun-Time International

The Mexican maquiladora Mex-Star, where Krazy Straw products are made, is very small compared to giant corporations such as Delphi or Lear. In past years, workers at Mex-Star have reported using very hot substances to fold and give shape to the straws, which workers fear are potentially dangerous. At the beginning of 2005, employee Graciela Oyervides was placed on disability status for carpal tunnel syndrome and, in the end, succeeded in obtaining a pension thanks to the help of the CFO.

The most recent case that concerns workers is that of a supervisor accused of sexual harassing male workers. {add here link to main story]

As a private company, Fun-Time does not make public its financial information or corporate policies. It is not known if it maintains policies concerning social responsibility. Its Mexican workers have recently made contact with the company headquarters in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania with the purpose of bringing to light problems with which they live daily in the factory.

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www.cfomaquiladoras.org is produced in cooperation with the
Mexico-U.S Border Program
of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)

Comité Fronterizo de Obrer@s (CFO)
Monterrey #1103, Col. Las Fuentes
Piedras Negras, Coahuila
C.P. 26010, México