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Workers United tries to negotiate with Hugo Boss in good faith
30 Dec '09
2 min read
Multinational apparel manufacturer Hugo Boss announced it would close its Cleveland factory and put more than 300 American workers out of work. The workers, members of Workers United union, an affiliate of SEIU, are protected from the company's attempt to put them on the street until April 30, 2010. Bruce Raynor, president of Workers United, SEIU, issued the following statement today:
"For generations, hardworking Americans in Ohio have built the brand of Hugo Boss by making high quality suits and apparel on wages that could support a family. Today, however, the German company has decided to put profit ahead of people. The profitable and growing Hugo Boss company is shutting its doors in Ohio not out of economic necessity but out of greed.
"Hugo Boss will not remain a select brand for very long if its new business model is to put people who make a living wage out of work and offshore their jobs to sweatshops.
"Workers United has tried to negotiate with Hugo Boss in good faith. This multinational apparel giant's proposals to cut these workers' wages from about $13.00/hour to less than $9.00/hour were flat out offensive, as were its attempts to persuade the State of Ohio to pay them $3 million in tax incentives to keep their manufacturing plant in the state.
"Workers United members fought for their contract that protects them from Hugo Boss putting them on the street today. The union will stand by their side to fight for their jobs from this day forward."
Workers United, SEIU was formed in March 2009 after 150,000 workers in the US and Canada decided to create a union that put workers first. Workers United members work in the laundry, food service, hospitality, gaming, apparel, textile, manufacturing and distribution industries.
"For generations, hardworking Americans in Ohio have built the brand of Hugo Boss by making high quality suits and apparel on wages that could support a family. Today, however, the German company has decided to put profit ahead of people. The profitable and growing Hugo Boss company is shutting its doors in Ohio not out of economic necessity but out of greed.
"Hugo Boss will not remain a select brand for very long if its new business model is to put people who make a living wage out of work and offshore their jobs to sweatshops.
"Workers United has tried to negotiate with Hugo Boss in good faith. This multinational apparel giant's proposals to cut these workers' wages from about $13.00/hour to less than $9.00/hour were flat out offensive, as were its attempts to persuade the State of Ohio to pay them $3 million in tax incentives to keep their manufacturing plant in the state.
"Workers United members fought for their contract that protects them from Hugo Boss putting them on the street today. The union will stand by their side to fight for their jobs from this day forward."
Workers United, SEIU was formed in March 2009 after 150,000 workers in the US and Canada decided to create a union that put workers first. Workers United members work in the laundry, food service, hospitality, gaming, apparel, textile, manufacturing and distribution industries.
Workers United, SEIU
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