Don't Let BJ&B Close Its Doors!

Information in this action alert comes from United Students Against Sweatshops. For more information visit www.studentsagainstsweatshops.org.
Posted November 6, 2004

Workers at BJ&B factory in the Dominican Republic produce caps for colleges, universities, the NBA and the NFL. They NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

Workers at BJ&B have fought for many years to have their union recognized and to win their collective bargaining agreement. BJ&B was the first factory in any free trade zone in the Dominican Republic to provide for wages above the legally required minimum standard.

However, the factory is in danger of shutting its doors.

DON'T LET THE FACTORY CLOSE!

BJ&B has an historic relationship with United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) -- they have been working together since 2002, when the BJ&B union was first formed and recognized. Since then, USAS has been active in investigations and actions to eradicate many long-term problems in the factory such as forced overtime, verbal harassment of workers by supervisors, and repeated efforts to coerce and intimidate workers who sought unionization.

The collective bargaining agreement has been repeatedly disrespected by the company. Additionally, there is evidence of union busting, Yupoong, the parent company of BJ&B, has been moving production from BJ&B (a unionized factory) to Mocarea (also in the Domincan Republic) and Dhaka, Bangladesh, two non-union facilities. Massive firings since January in BJ&B and massive hirings at Mocarea and Dhaka are not just a mere coincidence.

Failure to carry out legally binding contract provisions, and the dismissal of workers because of unionization, are in direct violation of college and university codes of conduct. The closing of BJ&B is imminent unless this type of egregious behavior is ended.

Let Yupoong know that we will not stand for this! Tell Nike and Reebok that they have to respect codes of conduct and that union busting and unfulfilled collective bargaining agreements are not acceptable!!!

TAKE ACTION NOW!!

Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.

We encourage you to take action by November 26, 2004

Keep BJ&B Open!

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA THE WEB:

If you have access to a web browser, you can take action on this alert by going to the following URL:

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/BJB/dwu3k82o7n8nkn

Your letter will be addressed and sent to:

Nike Director for Labor Practices Dusty Kidd

Vice President of Human Rights Programs Doug Cahn

----THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT IN YOUR NAME----

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

It has come to my attention that the BJ&B factory in the Dominican Republic is in danger of closure. BJ&B is one of the few places in the world where there is an active and strong union in a free trade zone and it would be a travesty if this factory is closed. I ask that you take whatever steps are necessary to insure that this plant remain open specifically by placing more orders at the BJ&B factory.

I also ask that that you encourage Yupoong, BJ&B's parent company, to refrain from anti-union activity and discrimination. Our university's codes of conduct must be enforced, and it is the responsibility of our licensees to implement these standards at all levels of their supply chain. We find that our codes of conduct have been violated in three distinct areas and we seek immediate compliance.

I ask that you encourage Yupoong from refraining from further lay-offs at the BJ&B plant and implement a program which reinstates workers to levels of that of 2003. I also insist that workers receive the 10% wage increase which was negotiated in their Collective Bargaining Agreement signed in 2003. I find that Yupoong has systematically denied the salary increase in defiance of Dominican law and codes of conduct of the WRC and FLA. I insist that Yupong refrain from further anti-union activity and cease transferring production to the non-unionized plant Mocarea Dominicana in an effort to stifle union activity.

Evidence of Yupoong's violations can be seen in the recently published WRC memo regarding BJ&B. We at USAS are firm in our assertion that the BJ&B factory should remain open, their CBA be respected and workers receive their wage increase, and that production should not be shifted out of a spirit of anti-union animus.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

cc: Alberto Yang