Gregg Nebel from Adidas only comes to make a joke of us. We had this meeting but all they said was that the brands cannot pay, that they have no responsibility. Despite the fact that we are humble we are not playing around - we know the truth.
Hermosa workers in El Salvador demand payment!

The Hermosa workers of El Salvador have been fighting for over a year now for their backpay and severance pay. Recently in a letter to Nike, Adidas, and Russell, workers wrote: "We know that the garments we have produced sell for a lot of money in the United States. But those of us working at the factory have not been paid for the work we performed for you. We have suffered abuses by the company including: discrimination of organized workers and others who were pregnant, exhausting shifts of up to 15 hours without a break for food, and sexual harassment... Most recently, problems in the factory included delayed payment of salaries and benefits which, even to date, have never been paid. While working at Hermosa, we were constantly threatened that we would be fired if we were to denounce what was happening in the factory. This was the reason that we began to organize a union. But this was also denied to us, once again violating our rights." Hermosa was a factory that produced collegiate apparel. When workers applied for jobs at another collegiate producing factory called Chi-Fung, they found that they had been blacklisted. Students, workers and community members will organize demonstrations at Nike and Adidas/Reebok stores around the nation on May 20. Please e-mail jessica@usasnet.org to find out how to get involved. In the mean time- email Nike, Adidas/Reebok and Russell- and tell them we stand with the Hermosa workers' demands for justice, respect and compensation.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: pay compensation to hermosa workers now!

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

You are already familiar with the Hermosa case in El Salvador. Since the case was first made public, brand representatives and the Fair Labor Association have been very eager to discuss the case with workers, NGOs, government officials and anyone else willing to sit down for a meeting.

Yet these meetings have not translated into meaningful action. It has been over a year since the workers at Hermosa lost their jobs and they have still not received the severance pay, wages, and benefits they are due by law for the years they spent sewing your garments. Given the lack of progress, the only solution is for the brands to pay the money owed to the workers.

In a recent letter from the Hermosa workers to Nike, Adidas/Reebok and Russell, the workers wrote:

"We, the workers of Hermosa Manufacturing, have been struggling for one year to be paid the benefits that are legally owed to us. Our financial hardship has resulted in serious problems. We have not had enough money to feed our families, we have not been able to cover emergency medical costs, and many of us risk losing our homes due to the fact that we have not been able to make our house payments. We now ask that Adidas, Nike, and Russell, given that you understand the process that we have been through, would directly address the situation by contributing to an emergency monetary fund to help mitigate the situation we are living through. As rich and powerful companies, we believe you are in a position to help us. This emergency fund, which would be used to help cover basic expenses for food and housing, would be a very important part of the solution to this crisis."

Students will stand with the workers of Hermosa until we see justice. In this time of crisis, we demand that Nike, Adidas, and Russell contribute immediately to an emergency fund for the former Hermosa workers.

Your clothing-your profits-your responsibility.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
May 08, 2006


Background Information

Esteemed representatives of Adidas, Nike, and Russell:

We, the workers of Hermosa Manufacturing, write to you today to express our great concern and to ask for you to contribute to an emergency fund to help solve the crisis we are in.

On May 11, 2005, the factory in mention made the decision to cease operations and has been closed ever since. For many years, we had sewn garments for your companies, including the time period 2003 to 2005, a time in which work was being handled through subcontracted orders. We know that the garments we have produced sell for a lot of money in the United States. But those of us working at the factory have not been paid for the work we performed for you. We have suffered abuses by the company including: discrimination of organized workers and others who were pregnant, exhausting shifts of up to 15 hours without a break for food, and sexual harassment. We were working under Joaquin Salvador Montalvo Machado, legal representative of the company. Most recently, problems in the factory included delayed payment of salaries and benefits which, even to date, have never been paid. While working at Hermosa, we were constantly threatened that we would be fired if we were to denounce what was happening in the factory. This was the reason that we began to organize a union. But this was also denied to us, once again violating our rights.

The company, in complicity with the Ministry of Labor and the government, has refused to pay the wages, severance, and benefits legally owed to us. It has also refused to make payments owed to the Pension Fund and Health Care Fund (Seguro Social). Currently the company has a debt of $350,595 to these funds. However, given the previously-mentioned complicity, our financial situation has not been resolved. The legal representative has taken a negative position and the government has been permissive of this position using different mechanisms at both a judicial and administrative level.

While it is true that Adidas, Nike, and Russell have begun a process to learn about this case and to pressure the government to resolve our situation, unfortunately these efforts have not been effective. We are still owed money for the work we performed making your products. We have heard that your companies received a commitment on the part of the government to offer healthcare for a year and also to extend an invitation to the workers to a job fair among other things. However, none of these promises has been communicated to the workers in any way.

We, the workers of Hermosa Manufacturing, have been struggling for one year to be paid the benefits that are legally owed to us. Our financial hardship has resulted in serious problems. We have not had enough money to feed our families, we have not been able to cover emergency medical costs, and many of us risk losing our homes due to the fact that we have not been able to make our house payments. We now ask that Adidas, Nike, and Russell, given that you understand the process that we have been through, would directly address the situation by contributing to an emergency monetary fund to help mitigate the situation we are living through. As rich and powerful companies, we believe you are in a position to help us. This emergency fund, which would be used to help cover basic expenses for food and housing, would be a very important part of the solution to this crisis.

With nothing further, we await your communication.

WORKERS OF HERMOSA MANUFACTURING