September 19th, 2005


JEANS WITH JUSTICE STRUGGLE ESCALATES

Jeans maker Lajat shuts down factory to avoid a union election

One of leaders of workers’ committee receives repeated threats

Workers intercept Governor, crash owners’ party, and call for more international support to pressure Lajat customers Levis and Mudd Jeans
The Lajat workers struggle in Gomez Palacio, Durango Mexico is escalating, and is clearly one of the most significant struggles for workers’ rights this year. The solidarity of the workers is growing as is the repression by management and the government. The workers need your help!

Recent developments:

Lajat’s Gomez Palacio and Torreon plants made Jeans for Mudd Jeans, Levis, and Aeropostal. Workers at the Gomez Palacio plant have been organizing to protect their jobs, their safety and for a democratic union since January 2005. As they pushed for an election to throw out the corrupt CTM union and put in their own independent union, the Labor Board and Governor increasingly came down strongly on the side of the company and CTM, canceling a union election scheduled for July and rescheduling it for October, questioning the legitimacy of the workers’ union, and now, with victory almost assured for the workers, Lajat has announced the closing of the Gomez Palacio plant blaming it on lack of work. The workers, however, learned there’s plenty of work at the Torreon plant, but rather than its being transferred to the G-P plant for finishing, which is custormary, it is going to a subcontractor.

When this happened, all the G-P workers joined the independent union and no one attended a CTM meeting to “explain” the layoff. Instead the workers sat in at the factory. One of the bosses, Fernando Llamas, actually admitted to the workers that “Lajat had a lot of work but not for them because they were troublemakers trying to organize a union.” Since a layoff is illegal in Mexico, management cut their wages from about $85 a week to $33, which means dire poverty for the workers.

Threats

Meanwhile, threats and offers of bribery have escalated against Jesus Garcia, one of the leaders of the workers’ coalition. He has received threatening phone calls, saying, “It’s better that you leave all of this or something is going to happen to you--‘you will be f***d.’” Another caller told Jesus, “This is “gobernacion” [the Mexican FBI] and it is better that you don’t destabilize Lajat or you will pay the consequences. Do you know what can happen to you?” Angel Flores, the production manager, told him, “its better that you negotiate with Lajat Human Resources, because Salcido is willing to offer you a considerable amount if you leave everything, otherwise you will not find job again --or something can happen to you.”

Fightback at the Country Club

The owners of Lajat Manufacturing are the five Bello brothers. They employ 12,000 workers in several plants in the states of Durango and Coahuila. The profits have been so good that the Bellos built themselves an exclusive country club and golf course in Torreon, Coahuila which is depleting local water supplies of the increasingly arid Lakes (Laguna) Region of north-central Mexico. On Mexican Independence Day - September 15th, the Bellos invited the Laguna Region’s high society to celebrate with a Mexican dinner. To their surprise guests were greeted at the gate of the golf club by workers from their Gomez Palacio Lajat plant. The workers gave flyers to the arriving guests who asked a lot questions about the problem. Some of them said that the Bellos always boasted that their workers had good salaries and working conditions. The workers told them the truth.

Javier Lara, a Lajat director tried to get the workers to leave, offering to meet the next day, but the workers stayed put for almost three hours until police were called. Then, with many guests hanging around, the workers refused to move, claiming their constitutional rights of freedom of speech and association and denouncing the Bellos for first taking over farmers’ lands for the golf course, and now taking workers’ jobs in their phony plant closing. With the support of even the bus drivers who had brought the workers there, the workers held firm, and In the end the police left.

Confronting the Governor

On September 14th the workers learned that the Governor of Durango, Ismael Hernandez Deraz, was visiting the Laguna Region and they decided to intercept him. They shared with him the problem at the Lajat plant in Gomez and demanded “jobs with dignity, the right to organize and protection for their co-workers.”

Building Solidarity

Workers from the Gomez Palacio Lajat plant met with workers from the Torreon plant and learned that they had a lot of work. In fact there were mountains of wooden pallets with jeans waiting to be sent for finishing or to be sent for export to Levi’s and Mudd Jeans. They said that it is not true that Lajat does not have contracts, and as a proof they gave them a copy of the production report for the last two weeks that confirmed the Tex-Pant Company – the subcontractor where the production for the Gomez plant was moved - was sending them material.

Also on September 19th workers will go to Mexico City to request the support of national unions like the National Workers Union (UNT), the Mexican Electrical Workers (SME), and the heathcare workers of the IMSS union to organize a public forum for the freedom of the association in Gomez Palacio on Friday September 30.


The workers of Lajat need international support:

  1. Call and Write to Levi’s and Mudd Jeans demanding that:
    • They not “cut and run” from Lajat’s plants
    • They insist that Lajat as their supplier honor workers’ right to organize and an election with secret ballot in a neutral place

  2. Fax a letter to the Labor Board President and the Governor
    3. Send a letter of support to Lajat workers at lic_oropeza@yahoo.com.mx

  3. Send sample letters to Mudd Jeans and Levis find this alert at www.coalitionforjustice.net

    4. Conrad Lung
    Mudd Jeans
    CLung335@aol.com
    Cc: Emily Chen Chene@muddusa.net
    Fax: 212-730-2289     		Michael Kobori
    Levi Strauss & Co
    mkobari@levi.com
    FAX:415-501-7112
  4. Send your financial support for the organizing expenses of the Lajat Workers at CJM office 4207 Willow Brook San Antonio, TX 78228

Sample Letters:

Conrad Lung
Mudd Jeans
CLung335@aol.com
 		                  Cc: Emily Chen Chene@muddusa.net
                  Fax: 212-730-2289
Dear Mr. Lung:

We have recently learned that your supplier, the Lajat Company, is closing their plant in Gomez Palacio, Mexico, for two months, claiming that Mudd Jeans has reduced the amount of production in its contracts.

However, the workers discovered that Lajat is taking the production from the Gomez plant to another factory nearby, Tex-Pant. Fernando Llamas, a Lajat administrator, told the workers that “Yes, there is a lot of work but not for them because they are troublemakers who want to organize a union.” It is obvious that the only thing Lajat is doing is trying to avoid the possibility of a union election since the next step in that process is a hearing on October 7.

Jesus Garcia, one of the leaders of the workers’ coalition, has been receiving phone calls threatening that if he doesn’t stop organizing something bad is going to happen to him.

In July Mudd’s lawyer sent CJM members and allies a letter indicating Mudd’s support for the Lajat workers’ freedom of association and promising that Mudd would not cancel its contract so long as Lajat honored the workers’ right to organize.

We expect you to live up to your word and direct Lajat to stop these tricks and repressive tactics. Insure the safety of Jesus Garcia, remain neutral in this union election process, and guarantee the workers a democratic process—an election in a neutral place and with secret ballot.

DON’T CUT AND RUN - Mudd Jeans’ reputation is on the line!

Sincerely,


------------------------------------------------------

Michael Kobori
Levi Strauss & Co
mkobari@levi.com
FAX:415-501-7112

Dear Michael Kobori,

We have recently learned that your supplier, the Lajat Company, is closing their plant in Gomez Palacio, Mexico, for two months, claiming that Levi’s Jeans has reduced the amount of production in its contracts.

However, the workers discovered that Lajat is taking the production from the Gomez plant to another factory nearby, Tex-Pant. Fernando Llamas, a Lajat administrator, told the workers that, “Yes, there is a lot of work but not for them because they are troublemakers who want to organize a union.” It is obvious that the only thing Lajat is doing is trying to avoid the possibility of a union election since the next step in that process is a hearing on October 7.

Jesus Garcia, one of the leaders of the workers’ coalition, has been receiving phone calls threatening that if he doesn’t stop organizing something is going to happen to him.

In July you sent CJM members and allies a letter indicating Levi’s support for the Lajat workers’ freedom of association and promising that Levi’s would not cancel its contract so long as Lajat honored the workers’ right to organize.

We expect you to live up to your word and direct Lajat to stop these tricks and repressive tactics. Insure the safety of Jesus Garcia, remain neutral in this union election process, and guarantee the workers a democratic process—an election in a neutral place and with secret ballot.

DON’T CUT AND RUN – Levi’s Jeans’ reputation is on the line!

Sincerely,


------------------------------------------------------

Lic. Francisco Cobarruvias
Presidente
Junta de Conciliación y Arbitraje
Gómez Palacio, Durango
Phone /Fax 0 11 52 [871] 7231612 [Say: “tono de fax por favor”]
Email: franciscojaviercobarruvias@prodigy.net.mx

Estimado Sr, Cobarruvias

Tenemos conocimiento de que Lajat esta cerrando su planta de Gómez Palacios Durango por dos meses con anuencia de la JCA. También sabemos que las y los trabajadores demandaron el embargo precautorio pero que la JCA hasta el momento no ha iniciado el proceso del embargo. Mientras tanto la gerencia de Lajat ha estado sacando material y los químicos que necesita par procesar el lavado y despintado de la mezclilla. El sábado 10 de Septiembre los trabajadores le impidieron que sacaran. Lajat el lunes 13, notifico a los trabajadores de confianza que estarían suspendidos por dos meses. Los trabajadores descubrieron que Lajat esta llevando la producción que le corresponde a la planta de Gómez a la planta de Tex Pant. Los trabajadores descubrieron que los argumentos de la falta de contratos de lajat, no es otra cosa que evadir las elecciones por el recuento sindical por el contrato colectivo de trabajo.

Jesús García ha recibido llamadas telefónicas amenazantes e intimidaciones. Por lo tanto,

Atentamente.


------------------------------------------------------

CP: Gobernador de Durango Ismael Alfredo Hernández Deraz
Email: parti@durango.gob.mx
Estimado Sr, Gobernador Hernández Deraz

Tenemos conocimiento de que Lajat esta cerrando su planta de Gómez Palacios Durango por dos meses con anuencia de la JCA. También sabemos que las y los trabajadores demandaron el embargo precautorio pero que la JCA hasta el momento no ha iniciado el proceso del embargo. Mientras tanto la gerencia de Lajat ha estado sacando material y los químicos que necesita par procesar el lavado y despintado de la mezclilla. El sábado 10 de Septiembre los trabajadores le impidieron que sacaran. Lajat el lunes 13, notifico a los trabajadores de confianza que estarían suspendidos por dos meses. Los trabajadores descubrieron que Lajat esta llevando la producción que le corresponde a la planta de Gómez a la planta de Tex Pant. Los trabajadores descubrieron que los argumentos de la falta de contratos de lajat, no es otra cosa que evadir las elecciones por el recuento sindical por el contrato colectivo de trabajo. Jesús García uno de los del comité ejecutivo de los trabajadores ha recibido llamadas telefónicas amenazantes e intimidaciones.

También tenemos conocimiento que el día 14 de Septiembre los trabajadores lo abordaron durante su gira por Gómez Palacio. Su gobierno ha hablado de una transparencia y procesos democráticos que en el caso de las los trabajadores de Lajat la transparencia no se ha ejercitado. Por lo tanto,

Atentamente


Recent Chronology:

After the CAB moved the date for the election in the Gomez plant [which was originally set for July 29] to October 7, the company went on the attack, conspiring with the CTM “charro” or company union. The CTM called a meeting on September 2 to inform the workers about their agreement with Lajat. None of the workers attended the meeting, because they said they do not recognize the CTM as their union. However, the CTM and Lajat announced that Lajat was closing the plant for two months. It seemed this was in order to avoid the union election scheduled for October 7, even though workers were told that the plant was closing because there was no raw material for the assembly lines. On September 5 all the workers went to work and they took over the floor saying that Lajat was lying because they knew there was a lot of work and that nobody would move them from their jobs. Then the company told them that they can still come to work but because there is no production they will only pay them 350 pesos [33 dollars] a week instead of the 800 pesos [76 dollars] that they were making.

September 6 and 7 workers investigated and found out that instead of taking the production from Torreon to be finished in their plant in Gomez as in the past, now Lajat was taking the production from the plant in Torreon to another plant named Tex- Pant, located a block away from the plant in Gomez. The Lajat Gomez workers met with the workers of Tex-Pant and the Tex-Pant workers told them that they were finishing jeans with the brand names Aeropostal and Mudd Jeans that Lajat was bringing there.

On September 6 workers presented a complaint to the CAB asking for the “embargo precautorio” to hold the assets of the company as a guarantee that Lajat will not cut and run without paying workers the severance payment guaranteed them according the Mexican Law.

Workers protested in the CAB on September 8 demanding that the CAB gave them the date for the “embargo”---the control over the assets of the company. The lawyer Felipe del Rivero, the governor’s representative, called for a meeting with all the parties involved in the conflict on September 9. Present at the meeting were the Lajat workers, the president of the CAB (Francisco Cobarruvias), the lawyer (Felipe del Rivero) and the governor’s representative, as well as Martha Ojeda (CJM Executive Director), and Fernando Lopez of CJM of La Laguna region. The workers requested that the representative of the company should be somebody with decision-making power, so then Javier Lara and Ignacio Salcido showed up. Javier Lara said he was an accountant and the corporate director of Lajat; he mentioned that his position was above Oscar Gonzales, the President of Lajat, and as such he had the decision-making power.

The Lajat workers explained the problem, including Lajat’s recent removal of production from the Gomez plant to the Tex Pant company, and they presented two proposals: 1] Jobs with dignity, the right to organize, election to be held in a neutral place and with secret ballot. 2] If Lajat did not agree to the first point, then the CAB has to give them the date for the “embargo” of the company’s assets to guarantee their severance payment according with Art. 439, of the Mexican Labor Law. Javier Lara argued that Lajat did not have work for them because Levi’s and Mudd Jeans reduced their contracts and that was the reason they had to close the plant for two months. He said that it was not true about Lajat taking the production to Tex Pant and that the workers had to prove that and moreover it offended him that they said this.

Lara argued to the governor’s representative and the CAB President that it was not necessary to give the workers a date to impound the assets because Lajat will need just two weeks to find out about renewing the contracts with Levi’s and Mudd Jeans. The government representative and the CAB president agreed with the Lajat management’s petition and insisted that the workers accept it. The workers said that for them their first proposal had the same relevance and they could not accept Lajat’s request.

After hours of discussion the only agreement arrived at was that the company will pay workers 500 pesos [50 dollars] instead of the 350. The company requested to meet again in two weeks. On September 10 the company tried to remove the Clorox, tints, and peroxide from the Gomez plant, items they need for the stonewashing process, and took them to other plants. But the workers stopped them and wouldn’t let them do it. The workers did their own inventory, taking the identification number of machines, chemicals, computers, desks, tables, etc., and developed a schedule to take roll and guard the machines and the material of the plant.

On September 13 Lajat called all the technicians and mechanics, telling them they will be suspended for two months because they were on the side of the workers’ coalition. That night somebody tried to enter the house of Jesus Garcia in the middle of the night, threatening him by saying, “It is better that you are not be involved any more in the Lajat struggle oryou will remember forever what is going to happen to you.”

For more background information on the Jeans with Justice Campaign for the Lajat workers, go to www.coalitionforjustice.net