From a press release that just came in from Levi Strauss Foundation:
SAN FRANCISCO (May 27, 2009) – The Levi Strauss Foundation today announced that it will make a $25,000 donation to the National Center For Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and $25,000 to The San Francisco LGBT Community Center (“The Centerâ€). The Levi Strauss Foundation is providing this support for efforts to achieve full and equal access to civil and human rights for all. …
Robert Haas, president of the Levi Strauss Foundation, said, “The Levi Strauss Foundation and Levis Strauss & Co. have a proud history of promoting equal rights and fighting for social justice dating back to the 1940s when the company integrated our sewing plants.â€
Haas continued, “We’re making this commitment to these leading equal rights organizations because they are at the forefront of vital legal, public policy, community-building work to promote social justice. This is a critical time for businesses, community organizations and citizens to join together to achieve equal rights for all.â€
Very courageous on the part of Levi Strauss Foundation (LSF). I hope this statement and the financial gifts set the standard for corporate America. We should all send thank you’s to LSF so that this trend continues.
Ummmm, didn’t LEVIS close the San Francisco plant down because they couldn’t afford to pay the workers salary and insurance then decided they could do it cheaper by moving it out of the country?
Did I read the wrong article when all the factory employees where laid off as production was moved overseas?
Hummmm…. so what this “financial gift” done to win back the support of the gay community or was it really done out of the goodness of their hearts now that the old employees are standing in unemployment lines???
This is why I *dont* wear Levis…
Maybe some here might want to paint the “REAL” picture since learning about this negative history I don’t buy their products and threw all my old pairs out. So tell me Tammye and Kris.. Did they hire all the old workers back? Or, was this just a butt-kissing maneuver from their marketing department?
While you’re at it.. do a little research on DELL computers and see why they Austin factory has vaporized too… Then tell me why their stuff tends to fall apart right after the warranty ends.. Huh?? And why is my hard earned money going into the pockets to workers someplace other than the United States??
Ohhh and let’s not forget the Mormons out in UTAH.. Sorry but this is the time I put my money where my mouth is and there’s no way in hell I’ll buy stuff made there regardless of all the good ones who remain.. It’s not my job to finance their hateful behavior.. But if they want to call me an abomination, ask them when’s the last time they ate “shellfish or shrimp” cuz that makes them an abomination as well according to their pathetic scripture.
Rick~
Please see below about the plant closings. Please tell me what jeans you do buy that are made in the country? This is the fault of the consumer for not purchasing made in the USA….not Levi’s for wanting to stay competitive and in business. Also, what jean maker out there is giving back to our community in any way? Tell me one dollar given back to our community by anyone other than Kenneth Cole.
But the expansion of fashion brands like Diesel and Polo on the high end and discount jeans for under $25 have decimated Levi’s bottom line. The company’s sales fell to $4.26 billion in 2001, down from a peak of $7.1 billion in 1996.
Levi’s said the decision to close the plants was needed if the company was to survive in this highly competitive market. ”This is a painful but necessary business decision,” said Philip Marineau, the chief executive. ”There is no question that we must move away from owned-and-operated plants in the U.S. to remain competitive in our industry.”
The moves did not come as a surprise. As a company that prided itself on a socially responsible image, Levi’s had long resisted the move overseas, but both the company and its union finally acknowledged that it was inevitable.
”We’ve been trying to dissuade them from this for months,” said Bruce Raynor, president of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees. ”But they are the last of the big domestic producers and they are up against the likes of Polo Ralph Lauren and Gap, which have not produced anything onshore for years.”
Levi’s has been in negotiations for several weeks with its union about a severance package. In keeping with Levi’s labor history, that package is expected to be generous in terms of both pay and medical benefits.