12/15/16 LA Solidarity Protest Rally For Japanese American Apparel Workers Who Face Loss Of Jobs-Defend Our Jobs-Message to All American Apparel Workers of the World.
12/15/16 LA Solidarity Protest Rally For Japanese American Apparel Workers Who Face Loss Of Jobs-Defend Our Jobs
Solidarity Rally-Speakout
Friday December 15, 2016 12:00 Noon
American Apparel Inc.
747 Warehouse St.
Los Angeles, CA 90021-1106 USA
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#WE RUN American Apparel!
Message to All American Apparel Workers of the World.
?WE RUN AA! Not a single LAYOFF is permitted!!?
Apparel General Union (AGU)
American Apparel Union Branch/ Japan
Hello to every American Apparel employees! We are “Apparel General Union”, labor union organizing apparel industry workers based in Tokyo, Japan. We have some statements we would desperately want to share with you here.
As you know, the company has decided to shut down basically all AA stores except U.S.. All stores of Japan and most of Europe has been forced to close this December. Also they have layed-off 500 LA factory workers, and they are ready for outsourcing the factory over sea. No longer AA is “Sweatshop Free” nor “Made in USA”, and how can they say “Fair wages” when they are firing so many employees? Everything we loved about AA, –-one and only creative style, its' brand & liberal policy, friendship of co-workers, –--is about to be destroyed.
During this 10years, each time the company faced danger of bankrupcy, had big money invested by investment funds,--- profit became much more important than creativity and AA's originality, company's survival became priority than workers lives. At the end of 2014, Dov Charney was kicked out of the company, and Paula Schneider of Standard General, became the CEO. Oct.2015, AA announced to recapitalize through consensual pre-arranged Chapter 11 reorganization, ---Standard General took over AA. They look at the case as a rotting fruit. To invest in a falling sales company makes juicy money for them, by investing in high interest rate, and stock trading. It's okay if the company goes out of business as long as they are able to collect the investment. And Paula failed the restructuring and left the company Oct.2016, now they are looking for a buyer of this company,,, nobody is here to take responsibility of this mess.
Workers must not die, even though American Apparel goes Bankrupt. We will not let the company survive, on the sacrifice of worker and it's family's life and living. AA workers, the ones that actually work in the stores, have been serving customers with pride, wanting them to love AA brand and wear it comfortably. YOU and every AA workers, are the ones that has run AA, held AA, and created the AA brand up until today. Even if we are an irregular employed or part-time, with responsibility and pride, because we love AA, because we love our co-workers, we are the one that has been moving this company. Labor Union is here to fight for that by any means necessary!
We launched our small union in American Apparel Japan 4years ago. The company hated on the union, and unfairly dismissed our leader Hanako, as soon as we pulled up our union flag. There was no reason making sense of the dismissal, they just wanted to kick out everybody that does not lick their shoes. In Japan, this is unfair labor practice, which is completely illegal. We fought in the Tokyo Labor Committee, collective bargaining, and on the streets! Many co-workers digged our statements and joined the movement. After 2years struggle, WE WON! Hanako's dismissal was withdrawn, her 2years salary was payed, and she got back to work with her friends again, in Shibuya(JPA) store!!! We proved that if workers unite and stand up, we can do this!!! Organize your co-workers as a labor union, and fight to change the power balance with the company. It is possible.
The company should vacate the stores and the factory, if you are to destroy it, workers will take over!WE workers run American Apparel, not them! Not a single layoff is permitted!! All workers of American Apparel of the world, join us! Raise your voice together! STAND UP NOW!!!
*IF YOU AGREE WITH OUR STATEMENT;
Send us your picture holding a sign banner (cardboard, piece of paper, or anything) saying “#WE RUN American Apparel!” or “#WE RUN AA!”and send it to our twitter account below.Don't forget to tag it with #americanapparel and #WERUNAA. Wearing your favorite AA style might be even better. Let's show the company and the world, that our international solidarity is possible!
Also, if you have any good ideas or questions, please contact us any time!!!
??twitter @agu_staff
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16th December, 2016
To: Ms. Chelsea Grayson,
CEO of American Apparel
From: Apparel General Union,
American Apparel Union Branch, Japan
Tokyo Seibu Union
PROTEST STATEMENT
We are “Apparel General Union”, labor union organizing apparel industry workers based in Tokyo, Japan. We launched our small union in American Apparel Japan 4years ago. You might have heard, we fought against the company (Katherine L Johnson was in charge as Asia area manager back then) over our union leader's dismissal, union busting, which is illegal unfair labor practice in Japan. After 2years struggle, AA Japan was ordered by Tokyo Labor Committee to withdraw the dismissal and put her back to original position at work.
Our statement to the company is to simply say that we are totally against the company closing down all stores of Japan, and other countries. There was no early notice for the workers, no discussion, and cutting off online and instagram accounts was too fast. No longer AA is “Sweatshop Free” nor “Made in LA”, and how can you say “Fair wages” when you are firing so many employees? Everything we loved about AA, –-one and only creative style, its' brand & liberal policy, friendship of co-workers, –--is about to be destroyed.
During this 10years, each time the company faced danger of bankrupcy, had big money invested by investment funds,--- profit became much more important than creativity and AA's originality, company's survival became priority than workers lives. Especially after Standard General took over LA, many workers were fired, factory was moved, product prices were raised unreasonably...and Paula Schneider leaves the company taking no responsibility of her mess.
Workers must not die, even though AA company goes Bankrupt. Company must not survive, on the sacrifice of workers and it's family's life and living. AA workers, the ones that actually work in the stores, have been serving customers with pride, wanting them to love AA brand and wear it comfortably. Each AA workers, are the ones that has run AA, held AA, and created the AA brand up until today. Even if we are an irregular employed or part-time, with responsibility and pride, because we love AA, because we love our co-workers, we are the one that has been moving this company.
The company should;
(1) Make Labor credit the priority, and take responsibility of employment.
(2) Make Severance pay ALL workers rights.
(3) Withdraw every dismissal of whom wishes and put them back to their original position.
If you cannot do this, vacate the stores and the factory, if you are to destroy it, workers will take over.
We are expecting your prompt and sincere correspondence.
Thank you.
2A Sakai-Bld. 2-3-7Amanuma, Suginami-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN.
Tokyo Seibu Union Office
Apparel General Union, Chairman, Hanako Suga.
incubad(at)hotmail.com
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