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Stop Union Busting At Ann Taylor FactoryLabor Alerts: a service of Campaign for Labor RightsCLR Labor Alert posted June 5, 2002
In this alert:
FIGHT TO STOP UNION BUSTING AT ANN TAYLOR SUPPLY FACTORY -- INTERNATIONAL
DAY OF ACTION JUNE 13THThe fight continues to stop the union-busting closure of the Tainan Enterprises factory in El Salvador. Organizing and action by worker rights activists in El Salvador, the U.S., and Taiwan have kept Tainan Enterprises from being able to completely dissolve its plant in El Salvador despite the fact that the factory has stopped production. This means that there is still a chance that the factory will reopen! STIT, the union at the Tainan factory in El Salvador, is calling for an international day of action against Tainan Enterprises on June 13th (which is June 12th in Taiwan). This day of action is in response to Tainan Enterprises' refusal to reopen their factory in El Salvador. We apologize for the short notice of this action - this strategy was just finalized today! ~ Activists in Taiwan will participate in the day of action with a protest at Tainan Enterprises headquarters in Taipei. ~ STIT in El Salvador will protest the Embassy of Taiwan and the office of Tainan Enterprises in El Salvador. ~ And you can participate by organizing an action at the Ann Taylor store nearest you! Ann Taylor, one of the largest customers of Tainan Enterprises, which continues to operate factories in Asia, has been chosen as the target for the U.S. day of action on June 13th to support the Tainan workers in El Salvador. * Go to the "Store Locator" on the Ann Taylor web site, www.anntaylor.com www.anntaylor.com/ , to find the Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Loft, or Ann Taylor factory store nearest you. Then contact us for an action packet. Also, we may be able to help turn people out to your local action - if you are planning an action, send us the details so we can contact other activists in your area. * If you don't have an Ann Taylor store in your area, circulate a sign-on letter in your community and fax it to Ann Taylor headquarters on the 13th. Fax letters to their toll free number: 1-886-232-9266. * IMPORTANT: Please let us know if you plan to participate in this day of action in any way so that we can asses our collective efforts and let you, the union, and others around the world know how big the day of action was! Email us at: clr@clrlabor.org.
ORGANIZING PACKETS - Available Beginning Monday, June 10Contact Campaign for Labor Rights, clr@clrlabor.org mailto:clr@clrlabor.org , 202-232-5002, or visit the US/LEAP website www.usleap.org to get an International Day of Action organizing packet. These packets will be available beginning Monday, June 10, and will include:
SOME RETAILERS RESPOND TO PRESSURE, ANN TAYLOR DOESN'TDelegations of activists across the United States have been approaching the headquarters of the U.S. retailers buying from Tainan Enterprises since the end of April. The delegations have asked these retailers to write to Tainan Enterprises and urge the company to resume operations in El Salvador and negotiate with the union in consideration of respect for worker rights. Three companies, the Gap, Inc., Philips-Van Heusen, and Columbia Sportswear, have already sent letters to Tainan Enterprises voicing their concerns. However, Ann Taylor, one of the largest customers of Tainan Enterprises, has not responded to this pressure and has only stated that they will "look into the matter and take appropriate action."
UNION BUSTING IS DISGUSTINGTainan Enterprises is a Taiwanese-based company that closed its factory in El Salvador at the end of April just as the union there submitted its application for legal bargaining rights for a contract. Tainan Enterprises has factories in Cambodia, Indonesia, Taiwan, and China that are running at full capacity, yet Tainan Enterprises says it doesn't have any orders for its factory in El Salvador and must close the factory down. The announcement of closure came after the workers had gained legal recognition for the union, Sindicato de Trabajadores de la Industria Textiles (STIT, or the Industrial Union of Textile Workers), and had launched an organizing campaign for the right to demand a contract (which requires that over 50% of the workforce are signed up for the union). Since workers had expressed interest in forming a union at the Tainan factory, the company has engaged in anti-union activities such as firings, suspensions, and harassment.
BACKGROUND ON TAINAN CAMPAIGNProvided by Centro de Estudios y Apoyo Laboral - CEAL (Center of Labour Studies and Support in El Salvador), translated by US/LEAP Chronology of events: 1. During the earthquakes in January and February 2001, Tainan forces its workers to continue working disregarding the national emergency. Two of the union leaders speak on behalf of other union members and direct these concerns to Tainan. For this reason, both leaders are suspended on February 26, 2001. Their names are Joaquin Alas Salguero and Ruben Ulises Orellana. 2. Both leaders become affiliated with the union, STIT, and shortly after directing their allegations to the regional representatives of Gap, an agreement is reached on March 19, 2001. Tainan legally recognizes both leaders as their employees, although the plant pays their salaries at the entrance and does not allow them to return to work. 3. Although faced with great difficulty and with diverse and covert anti-union actions, an affiliation campaign takes place with STIT inside Tainan, 4. During the visit of President Chen Shui-Bian of Taiwan, on May 23, 2001, a division of STIT is organized inside Tainan. The union members direct letters to both the President and his ambassador in El Salvador. 5. In July, 2001 STIT obtains legal status as a union from the Labor Ministry. 6. Beginning August 7, 2001 strong action takes place insofar as to re-admittance of both union members/leaders Joaquin and Ruben. On August 26, 2001 STIT organizes its first strike based on the threat of 60 suspensions, most of which are union members. 7. On October 17, 2001 the first worker suspensions take place of whom the majority are union members. Legal actions and protests take place by STIT, which consequently are suspended on October 30, 2001. 8. On November 30, 2001 as a result of the threat of a major campaign against GAP and interventions with the El Salvadorian government by AFL-CIO, US/LEAP, FITTVC and other organizations, Tainan signs an accord with STIT as to readmit the two union leaders. Both leader return to Tainan on December 10 and new agreements are reached allowing for a better dialogue between the workers and Tainan.
10. Mr. Wu Tao Chang, manager of Tainan, and his consultant, Mr. Carlos Silva, announce on April 5th the beginning of more suspensions, arguing that the labels Kohl's, Target and Gap had not placed any order and that such order were not profitable for Tainan. Suspensions only affect the unionized section TS2 of Tainan El Salvador's operations. The union presents evidence that there is no lack of orders and the company is outsourcing to other factories. On April 22 suspensions begin taking place in TS1. This was further proof of what looked like a complete withdrawal of Tainan from El Salvador. 11. On April 18, the union files a request with the Labor Minister to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement. 12. On April 19, AFL-CIO representatives and local international worker rights activists meet with representatives of Tainan Enterprises in Taiwan. Tainan tells the delegation that the factory will only be closed temporarily and will rehire the workers once production resumes. 13. As of April 25 close to 420, of the 440 workers from TS2, had being suspended, many of them accepting mutual and "volunteer" firings from the plant (Tainan). 14. On April 26 announces its intent to close and the management begins
to dismantle the machinery in the factory. |
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