Russell: Stop Threats of Violence Against Honduran Workers!

In 2007, workers at a garment factory called Jerzees de Honduras, won a hard-fought struggle for union representation - an unprecedented victory in an industry where workers' rights are rarely respected. Unfortunately, Russell Athletic has moved to destroy the union at Jerzees de Honduras by announcing that they are closing their factory. Just recently, human rights groups have received credible reports of union leaders being threatened with violence, which workers believe is directly related to the closure of the factory. For months, management has blamed union members for the closure of the plant, creating a perception among workers that they are about to lose their livelihoods because of the actions of union activists. The threat of violence in Honduras is real: last year the leader of the country's largest union federation was assassinated after a meeting regarding the closure of a different maquila factory.

Russell has been asked, at a bare minimum, to delay the closure of Jerzees de Honduras until mechanisms are in place to ensure the safety of of union members and leaders - yet Russell to date, has not been willing to do something as simple as this! The closure of Jerzees de Honduras is a direct result of the predatory business practices of Russell, and such behavior cannot be tolerated. Tell Russell Athletic that they must, by whatever means necessary, ensure that threats against workers immediately stop, that the factory be reopened at full capacity, and its union members remain employed! Tell me more

Subject:

Dear [Decision Maker Name Automatically Inserted Here],

(Edit Letter Below)

I am writing today to express my outrage over the planned closure of the Jerzees de Honduras factory in Honduras, and recent reports of violence against union activists. As I am sure you are well aware, the workers of Jerzees de Honduras, with support of students and universities in the United States, recently won a hard-fought struggle for union recognition. Jerzees de Honduras had become one of the few unionized factories in Russell's supply chain, and workers began to negotiate what would have been a historic collective bargaining agreement.

Unfortunately, due to a lack of commitment by Russell Athletic, these gains were never able to materialize. As a direct result of your company's refusal to make a real commitment to a factory where labor rights are actually respected, the workers of Jerzees de Honduras are about to lose their jobs. In addition to devastating the workers and their families, this act of cutting and running on the part of Russell will have a terrible effect on the municipality of Choloma as a whole. The Jerzees de Honduras factory is one of the primary sources of employment in Choloma, and the loss of these jobs will be felt by every member of the community.

By cutting and running from one of the only factories in your entire supply chain in which the right to freedom of association is respected and upheld, you have shown not just a lack of commitment to the basic principles that are supposedly protected by your company's code of conduct, but also a complete disregard for the lives of the workers off of whose labor you profit. Given that this is not a unique case and that your company has a history of cutting and running from factories where workers attempt to exercise their rights, I am left to wonder what your stated concern for workers' rights really means.

If your company is to exhibit a real commitment to ensuring that your goods are produced under dignified working conditions, and if these standards are to be more than just a public relations ploy, then it is imperative that you reopen Jerzees de Honduras at full capacity as soon as possible, and ensure that the union workers remain employed. Additionally, I am absolutely appalled to hear of credible threats against the lives of union activists connected to the closure of Jerzees de Honduras. Russell Athletic must do everything within its power to ensure that these threats of violence cease immediately, or your company will be seen by me, and the rest of the international community, as a corporation that blatantly disregards both the safety of workers and their rights to freedom of association in your supply chain.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

Take Action on this Issue

Send this message to:

Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren E. Buffett
FLA President and CEO Auret van Heerden
Russell Athletic

Complete the following to send this message. If you have participated before, just type in your email address then submit the form.

Email:*

First Name:*

Last Name:*

Organization:

Address Line 1:*

Address Line 2:

City:*

State/ Province:

ZIP/Postal Code:*

Country:*

Phone Number:

School:

Please enter

Yes, I would like to receive a copy of this letter

Check this box if you would like to receive periodic updates or action alerts in support of workers' rights from United Students Against Sweatshops.

* Required Field