Urgent Action Alert: Anti-Union Violence at Hatian International Manufacturing

Information in this alert comes from Batay Ouvriye in Haiti.
Posted May 3, 2004

On Wednesday, April 21st, 3 Batay Ouvriye members were distributing leaflets in the industrial sector when they were brutally attacked by management at "Haitian International Manufacturing S.A.". As soon as they were spotted by a supervisor, Chavannes, he initiated an aggression, calling a gang of thugs from the factory to beat up the Batay Ouvriye members. Teeth were broken, a bag and money stolen.

This is the accurate image of the state of workers' democratic rights in Haiti today, the revolting bosses' impunity to do as they wish, trampling the people's rights at every moment.

Please send a letter to Mr. Albert HANDAL, the company's owner, reporting this incident and urging remedial measures.

Haitian International Manufacturing S.A., is licensed to Dynasty Apparel Industries, but is a client, also, for Crystal Brands (Izod Sportswear, Lacoste), Fun-Tees, Hilton Corporate Casuals, and produces university garments for the following institutions: Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, Purdue, U. of Ohio, U. of Washington, U. of Wisconsin, Madison, U. of Illinois, Urbana Campaign, Arizona State, St Joseph Univ., Georgetown, UMASS, Northwestern, U. of Arizona, U. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, U. of Michigan, U. of Connecticut, and U. of Minnesota.

This is an extremely repressive and antiunion factory and this sort of reaction there was predictable. Work conditions are terrible which also explains why most of the workers there were extremely upset after witnessing this incident. Batay Ouvriye urges supporters to take pressuring actions, including sending letters to Albert HANDAL, Haitian International Manufacturing S.A. at the following address:

Haitian International Manufacturing, S.A.
Delmas 29, No. 20 (P.O. Box 1250)
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
011.509.246.4382/8140
fax: 011.509.246.1066
Albert Handal, President, haitian_int@hotmail.com

Here is the letter that was sent by Batay Ouvriye to Mr. Handal. Use the information in it to compose your own letter.

Port-au-Prince, April 29th, 2004

Mr. Albert HANDAL
Owner
Haitian Industrial Manufacturing
Delmas 29, # 20
Haitian_intl@hotmail.com

Mr. Handal:

This letter is to inform you of a very serious incident that occurred in front of your factory on Wednesday, April 21st, 2004.

On that day, three Batay Ouvriye members were distributing a leaflet in front of your factory when one of the supervisors, a certain CHAVANNES, initiated an attack against us. Shortly after, he called a team of thugs from within the factory to come help him and that is when we underwent the worst of treatments from this gang. The Batay Ouvriye members received terrible blows all over their bodies, teeth were broken, a bag was taken and money stolen.

Batay Ouvriye is revolted by these violent anti-union and anti-democratic practices and we've decided to take the case very seriously, just as the majority of the factory workers who were terribly upset witnessing this aggression before their very eyes.

For us:

• Management must take appropriate measures immediately in the light of this incident, and, amongst them, clearly this ruthless supervisor, Chavannes, should be fired without hesitation, together with his gang of thugs.
• The Haitian Industrial Manufacturing factory, which is notorious for the terrible work conditions prevailing there although they produce for many universities in the USA where the students have already demonstrated their concern for ethics in production, must begin to respect workers' rights, particularly union rights. We have decided to take measures for this.
• A meeting is in order between management and ourselves, Batay Ouvriye, and we are taking the opportunity of this letter to solicit it, while we are taking all the other appropriate measures that correspond with the situation, at the same time.

Receive, Sir, our salutations,

Yannick Etienne
Batay Ouvriye
batay@batayouvriye.org