CALL FOR SOLIDARITY WITH GUATEMALAN WORKERS
Urgent action is needed to ensure the security and livelihood of workers in historic Guatemalan unions. Workers in the unions SITRACIMA and SITRACHOI, based in the Cimatextiles and Choi Shin apparel factories in Villa Nueva, Guatemala, have issued calls for emergency support in response to a crisis at their workplace.
These are the only two legally-recognized unions with a collective bargaining agreement in Guatemala's garment sector, SITRACIMA and SITRACHOI. The factories produce for the U.S. brands Liz Claiborne, Talbots , and Macy's/Charter Club.
Workers at the Cimatextiles and Choi Shin factories in Guatemala are facing severe violations of their labor rights and collective bargaining agreement, with factory management having closed one factory illegally. Although factory management has pledged to reopen the factory and reinstate the jobs of union workers, union leaders report that new non-union workers have already been hired and are working in the allegedly "closed" factory.
Additionally, factory management still owes workers promised payment, union leaders have received death threats for their organizing work, and union members have been blacklisted from other employers in the garment industry. Workers have been spending nights in the factory for nearly two months to guard their livelihoods. U.S.-based brands have minimized the concerns of workers or have been unresponsive.
CALL U.S. BRANDS NOW TO DEMAND AN END TO UNION-BUSTING
Action is needed now to tell the U.S. brands Liz Claiborne, Talbots, and Macy's/Charter Club that these violations of workers' fundamental human and labor rights must stop.
Macy's: Holly Thomas, PR Director, (646) 429-5250, holly.thomas@macys.com
Talbots: Julie Lorigan, VP of Investor Relations, (781) 741-7775, julie.lorigan@talbots.com
Liz Claiborne: Roberta Karp, Senior VP Corporate Affairs (212) 626-3231 & (201) 295-7830, robbie_karp@liz.com; Daryl Brown, VP of Human Rights Compliance (201) 295-7895
- Demand that threats and intimidation against union leaders immediately stop.
- Demand that brands work to guarantee the continued operation of the unionized Choi Shin factory.
TIPS FOR CALLING
- Open your call by introducing yourself and stating where you are from
- Say that would like to express your urgent concern for the security and livelihood of workers in factories which produce clothing for the brand
- Ask that your message be forwarded to the company's CEO
- Say that brands must ensure that union workers are not targets of violence and intimidation
- Say that Cimatextiles and Choishin are two of the only unionized factories in these brands' supply chains, and that they are not following their company codes of conduct if they don't stand up for factories in which the right to freedom of association is respected
- Note the fact that the factory closed illegally and that workers haven't received compensation agreed to with management
- Say that brands must ensure that the Cimatextiles factory is reopened and that Choi Shin continue to operate at full capacity
- Call now, call often!
Thank you for your solidarity!