Haiti rebel army already using weapons to defend Levi's profits

This action alert is based on information from Yannick
Etienne at Batay Ouvriye in Haiti and the Haiti Support
Group in Great Britain.

URGENT ACTION ALERT!
Union workers fired in Haiti!

Friday, March 05, 2004

Union-busting at the CODEVI Free Trade Zone
Haiti rebel army already using weapons in bosses' defense!

Ouanaminthe, Haiti

On Monday March 2nd, 2004, 34 members of the trade union
SOKOWA (Sendika Ouvriye Kodevi Wanament - Ouanaminthe
Codevi Workers' Union) in the Codevi Free Trade Zone in
Ouanaminthe, Haiti, were brutalized and illegally fired by
the company's management and told to come take their
paychecks next Monday, March 8th. These firings were
accompanied by many threats at gunpoint, as well as
physical abuse.

This situation followed a tumultuous two weeks in Haiti,
rocked by political events and at the Ouanaminthe free
trade zone:

-On Feb. 16th, the new trade union handed management a
letter in which they informed it of the union's existence
and requested a meeting to discuss factory matters. On the
same day, Limbert Cruz, the Codevi Free Trade Zone
Director, answered the letter, saying that management's
doors were always opened for the workers organization, and
their agreement to meet with the union at any convenient
date and place. (The union would meet later concerning
this letter and prepare an answer Feb. 26th, suggesting
March 1st for this meeting)

-On Wednesday, February 25th, a few workers were
informally discussing things with members of management
(Jean Renaud, Luis and Jean Philippe) when, following a
complaint by one of the unionists, Ariel Jerome, the
latter was informed that he was fired. Protesting, he was
violently beaten up with rifle butts and forced to give up
his work badge.

-Thursday, Feb. 26th, all of the factory workers stopped
working in protest, demanding Ariel Jerome's re-hiring at
work, medical treatment, as well as the firing of the two
main management persons responsible: Jean Renaud and
Borgella. Limbert Cruz came out to talk to them and agreed
to cancel the firing and take care of the abused worker's
health. Indeed, Jerome was give his badge back and sent to
the health center for tests and medication. Cruz, however,
added that he needed to consult about the issue of the two
managers.

-No response to the question of the two managers was
forthcoming. Quite the contrary, on Monday morning (March
1st), Jean Renaud passed throughout the factory, line by
line, informing the workers that Levi Strauss was
withdrawing its orders, because, amongst other reasons,
the workers' work-stoppages meant that the business was
suffering and consequently they needed to get rid of
workers. Rumor had it that he said before losing his job,
he would make many workers lose their jobs. Monday
afternoon, Renaud called all of the union members and,
with much pressure, informed them they were fired.
Dominican military (Ouanaminthe is on the border between
Haiti and the Dominican Republic) pointed their weapons at
the workers and seized their badges. Several were roughed
up. All in all, 34 were fired, all union members. The
workers resolved to stop working on Tuesday, in protest.

-On Tuesday, March 3rd, all of the workers were mobilized
to protest the firings. All of a sudden, members of the
rebel army at Ouanaminthe arrived, with guns, to rough up
the workers. Several workers were handcuffed. After much
mistreatment and threats, they were forced to resume work.
Later, the rebels revealed that they had been contacted
the previous evening by factory management who informed
them that the workers were going to make problems at work
the next day. Management even gave them a list of union
members that they were to get rid of.

It is possible that more firings have occurred this
morning, Wednesday March 3, 2004, as the workers are
determined to mobilize in order to counteract management's
arbitrary and unjust actions.

Batay Ouvriye is urgently soliciting each and everyone's
input to support our effort to force Dominican free trade
zone operator Grupo M to reverse its decision before next
Monday, especially as all government offices (Labor
Bureau, Justice.) in Ouanaminthe continue to be closed.
Please write to:

-Grupo M
Fernando Capellan
email: fcapellan [at] grupom.com.do,
Limbert Cruz
email: lcruz [at] grupom.com.do

Ask for the re-hiring of the fired workers, respect for
their right to organize a union, and for medical attention
to those workers who were beaten up.

-Levi-Strauss
Michael Kobori - Director, Global Code of Conduct
Levi Strauss & Co.
1155 Battery St.
San Francisco, CA 94111
Tel: (415)501-1459
Fax: (415)501-1485
email: mkobori [at] levi.com

Ask Levi-Strauss to insist that their contractor comply
with internationally recognized workers' rights, most
especially the right to organize a union and bargain
collectively.

-The World Bank's International Finance Corporation
Mark Constantine
Email: mconstantine [at] ifc.org,

Remind the World Bank that its recent IFC loan to Grupo M
included the obligation to respect freedom of association
and the right to collective bargaining as a loan condition
and tell the Bank that recent actions by Grupo M in
Ouanaminthe are in violation of the loan agreement.

Please let Campaign for Labor Rights know if you receive a
response from any of your letters!