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Illegally Fired Workers Face Hunger & Homelessness
From May to July, 2017, SOTA-BO textile union led garment workers across Haiti in monumental mobilizations for an increased minimum wage. In the wake of these efforts, many of these union members were arbitrarily and illegally fired for exercising their legal rights.
SOTA-BO members from H&H Textiles, SISA, and Palm Apparel factories are still out of work, even after Better Work Haiti found that all of these firings illegal, and said workers should be reinstated.
SOTA-BO members from Quality Sewing factory have been out of work since March – another clear case of union-busting! The Ministry of labor found their firings illegal, and said they should be rehired… but, the boss refuses to let them in to work.
As the holidays approach, these workers and their families are hungry. They face losing their homes, as they cannot pay rent.
One of the workers from Quality Sewing just had a baby. The spouse of a worker from SISA also just gave birth. They are struggling to raise infants with no wages.
Workers with older children cannot send them to school. In Haiti, public schools are few and far between. So, private schools are the norm. Without income, these workers cannot pay school tuition. Their children are unable to take year end exams, and fall behind in school.
This is all because factory owners refuse workers’ basic rights.
Support Illegally Fired Workers – Let’s Raise $2000 before 2018!
Workers’ survival and very lives are being attacked simply, because they insist on basic rights – a decent wage that allows them to feed, house, clothe and educate themselves and their families.
Let’s help SOTA-BO members get through the year end & continue to fight!
It’s likely the best thing you can do with your money and your conscience this holiday season.
If just 50 people contribute, $40 each, we can reach this goal.
If you can’t donate $40, please give what you can.
Every dollar adds up and carries a major impact for these workers.
Stand with garment workers in their fight against exploitation!
September 15, 2017 marked the sixth anniversary of SOTA-BO – an independent textile union, based in Port Au Prince, Haiti and affiliated with the Batay Ouvriye (Workers Fight) movement!
Since their start in 2011, the union has grown in numbers and strength! Workers with this union were instrumental in leading the country-wide, three month fight for an increased minimum wage of 800 Gourdes. This fight continues, as well as struggles against corrupt wage taxes, as well as the general state of economic and political crisis in Haiti.
These workers face a serious battle, but their organization continues to strengthen and grow. Students, peasants, street vendors & the poor are joining this movement, led by workers.
To mark their six years, workers demonstrated in Port Au Prince, and distributed leaflets about their fight and their perspective on the state of affairs in Haiti.
SOTA’s Message:
LONG LIVE THE STRUGGLE OF THE SOTA-BO WORKERS!
LONG LIVE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY!
THERE IS NO STOPPING, PROCEED UNTIL FINAL VICTORY!
Please read SOTA’s leaflet below, translated from Kreyol to English.
The RRN stands in solidarity with this growing movement of workers and people fighting for their rights!
SOTA-BO Members on the 6 Year Anniversary of SOTA.
TEXTILE AND APPAREL WORKERS UNION
(SOTA-BO)
September 15, 2011 – September 15, 2017
It’s been 6 years since the Textile and Apparel Workers Union (SOTA-BO) was founded!
SOTA-BO is one of the unions affiliated with the May First Union Federation/Batay Ouvriye. A union is a combative workers organization, fighting against the exploitation and domination of the capitalists on workers and also fight for democratic rights. In SOTA, we see clearly that Democracy is a tool for the capitalists to lean on and continue to exploit our labor power. We are aware that we must FIGHT TO CONQUER DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS IN THEIR DEMOCRACY, namely, the fight to force capitalists and their state to respect workers union rights in the factories. The center pole for the FIGHT for democratic rights is the FIGHT for WAGES. For the capitalists, the more they squeeze us, exploit us, the better for them. For us workers in SOTA, the more we FIGHT, the more we resist, the better for us. For SOTA, those 6 years are 6 years of STRUGGLE in which we empowered ourselves and at the same time achieved maturity against an enemy that, if we just blink, will destroy our gains. We learned it’s only through STRUGGLE will we grow up. It’s been 6 years of struggle in which we are building the road to the INDEPENDENT and AUTONOMOUS emancipation of our union.
After six years, where are we? We launched with 3 union locals. Today, we have more than 25 locals in different factories in Port-Au-Prince. We are working to expand our presence in all new Free Trade Zones to be established in the Metropolitan area. We are negotiating agreements for the recognition of the union in the factory and begin the process of getting a memorandum of agreement with the capitalists in the factories. We are going to continue to present our demands before the capitalists, before the Haitian state for our democratic rights in society, in the factories where we know, if the capitalists could, they would shut us up and put shackles on our feet so we could work without giving them any problems. They count well but calculate badly. So long as there is exploitation and domination, there will always be STRUGGLE AND RESISTANCE for better working and living conditions for workers. The task is difficult but this is what we are doing today.
However, we must point out that since the Moise-Lafontant government came to power, we witness an increase in anti union repression against workers both in the public and private sectors. Workers are under heavy attacks. It’s open warfare that this government is waging against workers and their unions. We lend our solidarity to all laborers being fired in institutions such as OAVCT, CNE, SUPERIOR COURT OF ACCOUNTS AND ADMINISTRATIVE DISPUTES, and all those fighting to return to work under new conditions. On our side, we will continue to fight to reinstate our comrades in H&H Textiles, Quality Sewing, SISA, PALM Apparel fired after the mobilizations for our demand for the 800 gourdes minimum wage. There are negotiations under way for our comrades to return to work. The government wants us to pay for their corruption and the moneys they stole for their personal gains. WE MUST SAY NO, WE’RE NOT OBEYING. WE WANT PUBLIC SERVICES WITH THE TAX MONEYS AND TARIFFS WE HAVE BEEN PAYING ALREADY. WE WILL NOT REMAIN QUIET ANYMORE ABOUT OUR MONEYS BEING WASTED.
The policies of this government, AND ALL THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENTS, are to systematically attack the interests and rights of workers in the country in the INTERESTS OF ALL THE CAPITALISTS. We saw how it responded when it added only 15 gourdes on the 35 gourdes adjustment the CSS recommended on the 300 gourdes for the minimum wage. Still, nothing is said about the social benefits promised. So, it’s all bluffing, lies and repression this government is all about when workers fight for better living conditions in DEMANDING OUR DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS.
We are denouncing the budget that parliament voted which will squeeze the living juice our of us in taxes and tariffs without services. THE BLUFF AND DEMOGUERY MUST STOP. THIS IMPUNITY MUST STOP. CAPITALISTS CAN’T BE JUMPING UP FOR JOY ON THE MISERLY WAGES THEY ARE GIVING US. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
SOTA-BO supports the strike the transport unions launched for Monday and we will be present in all street mobilizations against the retrograde, anti popular budget they want to push in our throats despite all the protests. We will support the strike in our autonomy and independence. We agree with this generalized resistance movement. However, we think more discussions and struggles must be waged for the unification of the movement and also to isolate the bad apples who may simply want to unseat Jovenel Moise. WE MUST DRAW THE LESSONS OF THE PREVIOUS SRUGGLES.
What is SOTA-BO’s perspective today?
THE STRUGGLE FOR WAGES AS THE ENGINE OF OUR FIGHT AND ALL OTHER DEMANDS BEFORE THE CAPITALISTS AND THE GOVERNMENT AND GAIN MORE DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS IN THE PROCESS OF THE STRUGGLE.
Therefore, THE 800 GOURDES SALARY AND THE SOCIAL BENEFITS PROMISED ARE STILL ON THE ORDER OF THE DAY, and:
We will continue to fight to rewrite the Labor Code equitably where the rights of all worker categories are protected.
We will fight for the MAST to stop condoning impunity because when inspectors are needed to intervene, none is available. MAST must separate social affairs tasks from that of labor issues. As far as Labor, we need a Ministry of Labor and Social Security exclusively. The mess, corruption and impunity in the ministry must end.
So, during the 6 years, we’ve grown and we continue to grow so SOTA-BO can become the COMBATIVE ORGANIZATION OF WORKERS IN THE WEST. To All workers, in textile and the local factories who are FIGHTING or are ready to FIGHT, join BATAY OUVRIYE TO BUILD A COMBATIVE AND VIGOROUS UNION MOVEMENT. We will continue to work so workers take the leadership of the fight of the union movement in their hands to bring their own orientation in general struggles of the popular masses.
LONG LIVE THE STRUGGLE OF THE SOTA-BO WORKERS! 6 YEARS ARE NOT 6 DAYS!
LONG LIVE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY!
THERE IS NO STOPPING, PROCEED UNTIL FINAL VICTORY!
Haitian garment workers have been striking and demonstrating for a minimum wage adjustment from 300 Gourdes (just under US $5) to 800 Gourdes/day (about US $12) since May.
Despite the fact that workers are exercising their legal right to organize, factory owners are union busting in an effort to isolate and punish union organizers.
They are targeting SOTA-BO union leaders with selective suspensions and by locking them out of the factories.
Workers are assigned to production modules, or groups. In the sign below, posted at Premium Apparel factory, Premium lists the module numbers that should return to work on May 31. It then says that Premium will let all other workers know when to return to work. It is not a coincidence that the modules with union organizers have been excluded from returning to work and entering the factory.
Police block workers from entering Premium Apparel.
There is a heavy military presence at the factories.
On 06/28/17, Yannick Etienne, an organizer with Batay Ouvriye (BO) emailed the RRN to fill us in on this situation.
Greetings,
Thank you for the great show of solidarity with the struggle thus far. The garment workers are asking RRN to launch a campaign to denounce the anti union activities at the Apaid plant, Premium Apparel and at the [Felix] Abraham plant, Quality Sewing. We are asking that letters be sent to demand the reinstatement of workers without conditions. Let’s flood their e-mail boxes to denounce their anti union practices.
At the bottom of the page, you can read the full letter and account of the union-busting happening at Premium Apparel and Quality Sewing factories.
Quality Sewing is owned and operated by Abraham Felix.
Premium Apparel, SA is owned and operated by the powerful Apaid family.
*Update as of 06/29/17 – Garment workers let us know that the same union-busting is also happening at H&H Textiles. So, we’ve added contact info for Jay Jihoon Kim, General Director of H&H Textiles.
Let’s do our part to pressure the factory owners and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in Haiti!
Below is an email you can copy and paste.
Send it as many times as you can, from all your different email accounts.
LET’S FLOOD THEM WITH OUR SOLIDARITY.
Sample Email:
To: AFELIXMH2@gmail.com; gsassine@gbgroup.com; mapaid@agacorp.com; Jay@yjapp.com bureaumediationsecteurtextile@gmail.com; francois@betterwork.org; marie-louise.russo@adih.ht
Please consider making a donation to help workers continue their efforts.
Your contribution will be used to provide meals to workers at meetings; to print leaflets; to help transport organizers; and to recoup the costs of mobilizing in four locations for a month.
After weeks of strikes and mobilizations, the workers are now regrouping. Many have been arrested. Some must return to work in order to eat. Some have been denied entry into the factories for their participation in the strikes.
While many workers are hungry, tired, and struggling to survive, their resolve does not wane.
They are determined to continue this fight. They must. Their survival depends on it.
The movement started on May Day to demand 800 gourdes as the new minimum wage in the textile sector. Then on May 19th, we had a march and the mobilization continues for the rest of the week. Instigated by ADIH, the factory owners Association, owners did a lock for 2 days. However when workers from Premium Apparel went back to work on June 23rd, they saw a note on the gate- telling which modules management will accept to get to work.
As you can see, it was a way to select who can get back to work or not. Management selects people they from Maton (Bldg #2) to let them work in the Bdlg#1 called Premium. It was very difficult to get in. They had heavily armed police at the entrance door and in front of the factory when workers went back to work. (see some pictures…)
Photos of Lock out, Selective Suspension…
First email sent to Mr. Apaid and Mme Morissette
[ORIGINAL – KREYOL]
Bonjour M. Apaid,
Bonjour Madam Morisset,
Nou gen dives manb sendika SOTA-BO nan Premium ki ap tann yo rele yo pou yo vin Travay. N ap mande nou ki le sa ap fet sitou gen rime ki vle fe kwe se kontra Travay yo antrepriz la rezilye. Eske nou kapab klarifye kesyon sa a pou nou sivouple. Fe nou konnen ki le y ap retounen nan pos Travay yo.
Mesi pou repons rapid nou ak konpreyansyon nou.
Salitasyon sendikal nou.
Yannick ETIENNE
[ENGLISH, GOOGLE TRANSLATE VERSION]
Bonjour M. Apaid,
Hello Mrs. Morisset,
We have various member unions Sota-BO Premium waiting to call them to come to work. We wonder when this will occur mainly rumored that suggests is labor contracts terminating enterprise. Can we clarify this question for us PLEASE. Let us know when they will return to their work positions.
Thank you for quick response and understanding.
Union greetings.
Yannick ETIENNE
After several exchanges over the phone and emails with Mr. Apaid or Mme Morissette regarding this selection that they were doing, we received responses like the workers were not fired but the company has to get a letter from us notifying that the strike is over so they can get back to work.
We told them that we were in total disagreement with their position. They sent a letter to Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MAST) making it official. We went to the Bureau of Mediation of the Textile Sector (BMST) and requested a meeting with Mr. Apaid.
We met twice on the subject. To test their good faith, we sent a letter to the Minister of Labor saying that we call for a truce over the mobilization, so that our members could go back to work. They refused to let our committee members to get back to Premium (Bldg #1). That’s where they used to work. And they are still waiting to get back to work.
Management wants them to go to work at the other building. But they were already informed about the closure of this plant because of the reduction from Gildan. So, it’s clear that Apaid want to get rid of the committee members. Although he is saying that he did not terminate them.
