Labor Alerts: a service of Campaign for Labor Rights

In this alert:

• Victory at Almond (Thailand) Ltd.
• Action Reminder: Call the Guatemalan Government on Dec.6.
• Check out the Organizing Institute's New Website.

[ Information in this Labor Alert provided by the Thai Labour Campaign; www.thailabour.org, and US/LEAP; www.usleap.org ]

VICTORY AT ALMOND (THAILAND) LTD.

After almost a year of struggle, Almond Labour Union members can declare victory. An agreement reached on December 2nd between Almond management and ICEM (International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions), representing the workers, provides for the reinstatement of fired workers, the company dropping lawsuits against the union, and contract negotiations.

The Almond workers remained strong and unified throughout this struggle, even in the face of severe anti-union intimidation.

This is an historic victory. For the first time, a major industrial dispute has been resolved by union-employer negotiations over a phone hook-up spanning three continents. And a global trade union federation, ICEM, played a pivotal role in the settlement.

The agreement between multinational jewelry maker Almond and its Thai workers was negotiated over the past few days in a series of conference calls linking Bangkok, Brussels and New York. The Thai Almond workers unanimously voted to accept it.

Main points of the settlement:

~ 40 Thai workers dismissed by Almond last December, including union leaders, will get their jobs back and will receive full compensation.

~ Their union will now have full bargaining rights at Almond. The agreement states, "Within 3 days of receiving a list of demands from the Union on behalf of its members, the Company will in good faith enter into meaningful negotiations with the Union."

~ Almond will drop all lawsuits connected with the dispute.

Campaign for Labor Rights has asked its Rapid Action Network and other groups to mobilize in solidarity with the Almond Union several times over the last five months. First, a letter writing campaign to Almond's US distributor, Michael Anthony Jewelers, generated 600 letters and emails. Then in October, a letter writing campaign targeting the Home Shopping Network, which sells Almond jewelry, generated nearly 1,200 letters to that company.

Most recently, from November 23-30, Rapid Action Network groups organized leafleting actions at Kay Jewelers outlets in 36 cities across the country. Kay Jewelers is the number one retailer of Almond Jewelry in the US.

Many thanks to those of you who have participated in the various levels of this campaign! Your actions played an important role in securing this victory. The settlement provides for the START of negotiations in the factory -- watch for further updates on these negotiations and on the implementation of this agreement.

~ for more information, the full text of the agreement, and background in this struggle, check the Campaign for Labor Rights website: www.clrlabor.org, or the website of the Thai Labour Campaign: www.thailabour.org.

ACTION REMINDER: CALL THE GUATEMALAN GOVERNMENT ON DEC. 6.

On Thursday, December 6th, join labor rights supporters from across the country in calling the Guatemalan Embassy or Consulates about the situation at Chioshin and Cimatextiles in Guatemala.

Workers are seeking to organize unions at two apparel factories in Guatemala called Cimatextiles and Choishin. Both of these factories are owned by a Korean-based company called Choi & Shin's and produce for, among others, Liz Claiborne. Workers met fierce resistance from the employer at the onset of the union campaign when mobs of workers and supervisors, apparently orchestrated by the management who said they would close the plants if the union wasn't ousted, attacked the union supporters July, 2001. Despite the Guatemalan Labor Minister's convening of two separate meetings and overseeing two separate agreements (one on July 25th and another on August 9th) and some intervention from Liz Claiborne, the anti-union activity at the factory continues.

Call the Guatemalan Embassy or Consulate Near You!!

Tell the Guatemalan Government:

The impunity enjoyed by the participants of the violent mob in July is part of a long-standing trend of impunity enjoyed by those who commit violence against trade unionists in Guatemala and it must end! We appreciate the swift action taken by the Labor Ministry in convening meetings between the parties, but have seen significant non-compliance in the subsequent agreements and inadequate follow-up by the office of the special prosecutor for violence against trade unionists. Prosecution of the violent offenders and enforcement of the agreements are the responsibility of the Guatemalan government. Continued neglect of these duties may put at risk Guatemala's trade benefits that are conditioned on respect for worker rights under the Generalized System of Preferences.

CHECK OUT THE ORGANIZING INSTITUTE'S NEW WEBSITE:

Are you content just to read about campaigns for workers' rights on the web? Don't be. You can do something about it! Apply to attend the AFL-CIO's Organizing Institute and help workers form and join unions. Visit the OI website online at: www.organize.aflcio.org/

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