Members of the Chicago-area Hispanic community are sending a loud and clear message to Bank of America officials: stop the unjust attacks on Illinois’ third largest minority-owned business that have placed more than 1,400 jobs in jeopardy.

VMark workers as well as elected and business officials and community activists are asking BOA to serve the very taxpayers who helped bail out the banking giant by working with the company to resolve the matter and ensure the employment of thousands of local residents and the economic health of the community. Some of Vmark’s owners, who are the minority shareholders in the company, defaulted years ago on $39 million in loan guarantees unrelated to the company.

VMark supporters noted that the issue comes on the heels of the U.S. Justice Department’s recent order that Bank of America pay $335 million to settle claims that its subsidiary Countrywide discriminated against minority borrowers. It was charged with hiking interest rates and fees for more than 200,000 African-American and Hispanic borrowers who qualified for lower rates. The fees and interest rates were higher than those of non-Hispanic white borrowers. “VMark is an anchor of the Hispanic community and a true American success story, growing and thriving as a small business that contributes to the overall financial health of the Chicago area,” said Chicago Alderman George A. Cardenas (12th Ward). “Bank of America needs to resolve this matter so VMark can continue to operate and families can keep their jobs and survive.”

Nilda Esparza, executive director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce, noted that VMark plays a vital role in the Hispanic community. “Minority owned-businesses are among the fastest growing segment of new business and job creation among small businesses,” Esparza said. “Companies like VMark create jobs and opportunities in the Latino Community. As a fellow minority group, we stand with VMark and their employees in the hopes they are able to reach an amicable resolution that allows them to continue to prosper and generate jobs in Illinois.”