"Worth the Walk"

Cayce Callaway

IMC-la

Ten long weeks ended in fanfare today as the production workers from the Hollander Home Fashion Plants in Vernon gathered with their families at the Unite office to celebrate their success. As they feasted on grilled chicken, a mariachi band played cheerful music and children, enthused by their parent's infectious mood, raced around the courtyard.

The same sentiment was echoed throughout the crowd, "I am happy. I just want to go back to work."

And happy they should be. After picketing the plants since March 12, their demands were met last night by the management of Hollander. When they return to work on Monday, they will be given an employer co-sponsored 401(k) plan, plus wage increases of between .30 and .90 cents an hour.

Their struggle has been an exhausting one. In addition to the daily toil on the picket line, leading to numerous arrests for small infractions of an injunction brought against Unite by Hollander, they've been attempting to survive on 0.00 a week strike pay; a difficult prospect for people whose normal wage barely covers the bills. They've also had to stand by each morning and watch as scabs arrive by the busload to take jobs some of them have held for 30 years.

With little word from management until yesterday, all they could do was hope, persevere and, of course, worry. Even though they had little experience as strikers, they kept a steady vigil at both Hollander plants and passed out leaflets at IKEA, J.C. Penny's and Costco. Rumor has it at least one of these stores, IKEA, helped turn up the pressure on Hollander. Another potential factor was the walkout of workers in solidarity at two more of the company's plants, one in Pennsylvania and another in Georgia. In addition, students from five local California universities were beginning to take up the cause.

But in the end, it may have been the workers themselves who tipped the balance. It seems that management's hubristic reliance on temporary labor forced them to acknowledge what the workers knew all along; they were not so easily replaceable. Years of manufacturing products for the Hollander family made them a skilled labor force, not simply another pair of hands.

Perhaps this lesson, and the unity that made this strike such a success, will filter through to other business owners in Los Angeles, the "sweatshop capital of the U.S." While these workers celebrate their victory, thousands of others plod away under conditions in factories, warehouses and farms that are not humane by any standard. But their positions are anything but hopeless. As was seen at Hollander, voices can be heard, even if they've never spoken up before. Change can occur, even if it's one small group at a time.

Watch out Taco Bell...

SI SE PUEDE! YES WE CAN!

STRIKING GARMENT WORKERS WALK AWAY WITH "TOTAL VICTORY"!

May 18, 2001

by Bill Neal, ISO

LOS ANGELES

After 10 hard weeks 450 Los Angeles garment workers have scored what they call a total victory in their strike. The company, Hollander Home Fashions, finally caved on attempts to hold down wages and granted A_RTICLE.30 to A_RTICLE.90 raises per hour. The workers, represented by UNITE!, voted overwhelmingly to approve the new contract.

More importantly to the workers, Hollander agreed to provide a 401K

retirement plan. Many of the workers have been there 20 - 30 years and still make only - 8.00/hour--hardly enough to save for retirement. The company once told the union they would rather fold than grant them a retirement plan. Not only did they give in, but they agreed to make co-payments on the plan--an indication of how badly they were beaten.

Union officials say that the victory was largely because Hollander couldn't get out quality or quantity product with scab labor. Two South Central Los Angeles factories make pillows and comforters for JC Penney's, IKEA, WalMart and other retail stores. Almost no workers crossed the picket line, so the company turned to the union busting temp agency Labor Ready Inc to provide bus loads of replacement workers. The number of trucks leaving the factory was dramatically lower than pre-strike levels, and the union suspects than many were part full or loaded with empty boxes.

Crucial to the victory were work stoppages at two other location owned by the company. Workers at a Pennsylvania plant walked out over similar issues on May 1. At a Hollander factory in Georgia an all African American workforce honored the strike by refusing to go to work. In a fantastic show of solidarity, Black workers resisted the companies attempts to divide them from their mostly immigrant counterparts in LA. That unity was key to the victory.

The news was reported to students from 5 different campuses at a demonstration early Friday morning. The students had gathered for rally at the offices of Labor Ready scab agency at 4:30am. Dozens of students greeted the news with cheers. Angry scabs started a fight, but the the ruckus couldn't dampen the pride and enthusiasm felt by all. Students plan to show up Monday morning to support the workers at a planned "victory march" back into the factories.

This strike shows that, despite the hardships faced by low wage immigrant workers, if you fight back, and stay united, you can win. And that is a victory, not just for the Hollander workers, but for thousands garment workers and low wage immigrant laborers throughout the Los Angeles area.

Anti-globalization activists also learned a lot from the workers. The strikers came to speak out on campuses and at the big "Stop the FTAA" demonstration at the US-Mexico border on April 21. Through their example, students discovered the power of linking the struggle against corporate greed in general, to the struggle of workers in their own communities. The win for the union was also a win for this movement.

###

Over the enxt few days, we'll be getting a photo-spread from the Hollender plant in Tignall, Ga online.

This is a fantastic outcome. A factory worker getting what's normally considered a "middle class" benefit like a 401k is something. Even with unions, sometimes, the best they can get is decent health care and a union managed pension. I hope this signals a new awareness by business that workers want fair and equitable treatment, and real benefits. These things aren't just tangible improvements, but are also symbolic victories.



They need to make sure that the pension plan remains in effect for all future workers at this company.

just as a comment - it turned out that the workers were originally payed up to 12 an hour. that the union only got them up to 8 is offensive.