FUERZA UNIDA 710 New Laredo Hwy. San Antonio, Texas 78211 Tel: 210-927-2294 Fax:210-927-2295
MEDIA ADVISORY * MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Viola Casares DATE: November 13, 1998 PHONE: 210-927-2294
Ex-Levi*s Workers Call for Thanksgiving Season Solidarity Hunger Strike To Protest Levi*s Latest Round of Layoffs & Cuts
WHAT: Thanksgiving season hunger strike to protest massive layoffs by Levi Strauss & Co. WHO: Organized by Fuerza Unida, a San Antonio, Texas community based women workers center WHEN: From Thursday, November 19, 12 noon to Friday, November 20, 12 noon WHERE: Levi Strauss & Co. sewing plant, 5800 Old Highway 90, San Antonio, Texas
WHY: Ex-Levi*s workers will stage a 24-hour Thanksgiving season hunger strike at the remaining Levi Strauss & Co. sewing plant in San Antonio to protest recent layoffs and cuts. They are calling on supporters internationally to join them in their fast. On November 5, Levi*s announced that it would shut down 7 of its US plants for the months of December and January, impacting 4,037 workers in McAllen, San Benito, Brownsville and Wichita Falls, TX; Valdosta, GA; Mountain City, TN; and Murphy, NC. Levi*s earlier announcement of closure of 3 plants in Belgium, 1 in France, and 2 in Texas, totaling lay-offs of 2,552 workers, was met with strikes in Belgium and national protests by Fuerza Unida and its supporters in the US in October and November. On November 4, 1997, Levi*s had shut down 11 US plants and laid-off 6,400 employees, over a third of its US production workforce. Although Levi*s CEO Bob Haas told the Wall Street Journal "this is not a job flight story" (11/4/97), the following April, Levi*s announced plans to expand production in China. In July 1998, Levi*s said that more layoffs were likely during the next 2 years to cut $200 million in costs.
Fuerza Unida will hold their sit-in and hunger strike at the remaining San Antonio sewing plant where workers have been told to stay home about a week every month from October through March. The group has organized hunger strikes almost every Thanksgiving season since they lost their jobs in 1990 when Levi*s closed one of its San Antonio plants and laid off 1,150, mainly Mexican American women. Levi*s moved to Costa Rica where workers earned in a day what the average San Antonio seamstress would have made in half an hour.
Petra Mata, a Fuerza Unida co-coordinator, explained, "We are going on a hunger strike to call attention to the injustices Levi*s is committing against the workers this holiday season. Thanksgiving should be a time of fiesta, celebration, and thanks when families come together before a full table of turkey and all of the fixings. But with these layoffs, many people can no longer afford a turkey. They will have to eat chicken or go hungry as we did when Levi*s took away our jobs. We are holding this hunger strike to show that Fuerza Unida and the other thousands of workers who sweated for Levi*s are still here and that we want the plants to stay open."
Fuerza Unida is inviting its supporters in cities across the US and internationally to join them in the simultaneous hunger fast, sign hunger strike pledges, and send solidarity messages for the laid-off workers and San Antonio hunger strikers. Viola Casares, a Fuerza Unida co-coordinator said that the Thanksgiving season hunger strike had grown into a custom during the 8 years of their struggle for corporate accountability from Levi*s. The group is asking that Levi*s sit down and negotiate in good faith to reach a just settlement for the fired San Antonio workers. Casares said that Fuerza Unida*s hunger strike slogan is "No tenemos hambre de comida, tenemos hambre de justicia*we are hungry for justice, not for food." She added, "Levi*s has declared open season on the workers. We ask people to please join us in the hunger strike to show solidarity our laid-off sisters and brothers in the US and Europe. We know how hard the holidays are when you*ve lost your job." -End-
*** Fuerza Unida Fast for Justice Petition
Support Fuerza Unida's Thanksgiving season hunger strike to protest massive layoffs by Levi Strauss & Co. You can show solidarity with Fuerza Unida by:
*fasting 24 hours from noon, Thursday, November 19th to noon, Friday, November 20th; *donating the equivalent of your expenses for food during the fast; and * notifying your friends, co-workers and family about Levi's greedy corporate practices.
I, ____________, will fast for _____ hours ; I will not be able to fast, but I will donate $_____ in support of Fuerza Unida's campaign for corporate accountability. My contact address, phone & e-mail info is:
_______________________________________________________
I, ____________, will fast for _____ hours ; I will not be able to fast, but I will donate $_____ in support of Fuerza Unida's campaign for corporate accountability. My contact address, phone & e-mail info is:
_______________________________________________________
I, ____________, will fast for _____ hours ; I will not be able to fast, but I will donate $_____ in support of Fuerza Unida's campaign for corporate accountability. My contact address, phone & e-mail info is:
_______________________________________________________
I, ____________, will fast for _____ hours ; I will not be able to fast, but I will donate $_____ in support of Fuerza Unida's campaign for corporate accountability. My contact address, phone & e-mail info is:
_______________________________________________________
I, ____________, will fast for _____ hours ; I will not be able to fast, but I will donate $_____ in support of Fuerza Unida's campaign for corporate accountability. My contact address, phone & e-mail info is:
_______________________________________________________
I, ____________, will fast for _____ hours ; I will not be able to fast, but I will donate $_____ in support of Fuerza Unida's campaign for corporate accountability. My contact address, phone & e-mail info is:
_______________________________________________________
Please mail, fax or e-mail your pledges and solidarity messages to: Fuerza Unida, 710 New Laredo Hwy., San Antonio, Texas 78211 Tel: 210-927-2294, Fax:210-927-2295, E-mail: fuerzaunid at aol.com