Actor uses Oscars to support Hugo Boss workers

BROOKLYN, OH - Danny Glover is known for his parts in the movies The Color Purple and Lethal Weapon. On Sunday, he played the role of activist for Hugo Boss workers in Brooklyn. Nearly 400 employees are slated to lose their jobs when the plant closes in April.

Glover asked his fellow actors to not wear Hugo Boss clothing at the Oscars and he wore a pin that read, "Keep the Hugo Boss plant open."
Wanda Navarro works at the facility. "I would like to say thank you to Danny Glover for supporting us and being there for us," Navarro said. Navarro has pressed suit coats for nine years, but she'll be out of work by April 27th. "It's gonna be hard. We don't know what we're going to do, but we're gonna wait until the last minute to think about it. Right now, our focus is to keep this place open," Navarro said.

Several protests over the last few months failed to change the minds of officials at the clothing company. A statement from Hugo Boss read: "The facility is not globally competitive. Hugo Boss tried in vain to make it globally competitive and when that effort failed, we acted in the best interests of shareholders and customers by deciding to close the facility."

Workers united representative, Sue Brown, insisted Hugo Boss made a profit in Brooklyn, but Brown said the company determined it would make more money by shipping jobs to a Turkish plant. "They want to expand their market here, but they don't want to have their suits made in America," Brown said.
Brown said Danny Glover has helped unions on other causes. "We feel that these people are worth fighting for. Our members are worth fighting for. Our jobs are worth fighting for," Brown said.

Congressman Dennis Kucinich said he made several phone call and sent several letters to the company, hoping to convince Hugo Boss to stay in Brooklyn. However, Kucinich said the company was unresponsive. "I never give up, but you have to realize the options are limited. It's their company," Rep. Kucinich said.

The congressman is also planning to meet with Hugo Boss workers on Monday afternoon and he's hoping to get a tour of the plant. "We should be standing with the workers. They did the right thing. They made a good product. They made the company a profit and now they're being thrown away," Rep. Kucinich said.

The statement from Hugo Boss said, "The company will continue to pay wages until April 27th, 2010 even if production curtails prior to that date. The company has offered a significant and comprehensive package of severance and outplacement benefits at a cost of more than $1.5 million to this work force, and one that exceeds any existing legal or contractual requirements.