Update on the Saipan Lawsuit and GAP Campaign

Dear Friends,
Please find below an update on the three lawsuits filed in relation to unlawful working conditions in garment factories in Saipan. This report comes from Global Exchange, one of the US campaign groups involved in this litigation and campaign. For more background information on the Saipan cases, please see the site mentioned below or the CCC website.

Update on the Saipan Lawsuit and GAP Campaign

Source: Global Exchange email update, Feb. 13, 2002

It's been three years and 1 month that the Saipan lawsuits were filed. On January 13-14, 1999, three separate lawsuits were filed challenging the unlawful sweatshop conditions in the Saipan, CNMI garment industry. A total of 26 U.S. based retailers and manufacturers have been sued for doing business in Saipan and using "indentured slavery". 19 companies have settled the lawsuits since then. The 19 companies that have settled the lawsuit have agreed to abide by the new Saipan Code of Conduct which includes prohibiting Saipan-based contractors from violating the law in the future. It also requires factories to be monitored by Verite, a non-profit Massachussetts based independent monitoring firm. In addition, the settlement calls for retroactive relief, payments to garment worker class members whose rights were violated in the past. With the 18 companies, the
settlements have totaled almost $8.5 million. This money will be used to pay legal and administrative fees, funding the monitoring program and to the workers who were cheated out of their pay for so many years. As more money is received from more settling defendants, larger and larger sums will be available for payments to the garment worker plaintiffs.

Who are these companies and when will they start paying up?
The companies that have settled are:

• Brylane, L.P.
• Calvin Klein, Inc.
• Cutter & Buck, Inc.
• Donna Karan International Inc.
• The Dress Barn, Inc.
• The Gymboree Corp.
• J. Crew Group Inc.
• Jones Apparel Group, Inc.
• Liz Claiborne, Inc.
• The May Department Stores Company
• Nordstrom Inc.
• Oshkosh B'Gosh, Inc.
• Phillips-Van Heusen Corp.
• Polo Ralph Lauren Corp.
• Sears Roebuck and Company
• Tommy Hilfiger U.S.A., Inc.
• Warnaco Group, Inc.
• Woolrich, Inc.
• Brooks Brothers

These companies will start paying their dues when Judge Muntser in Saipan approves their settlements. Our lawyers are in Saipan currently and on Feb 14th they will be attending the preliminary settlement hearings. If Judge Muntser is not swayed by the GAPs lawyers and the Garment Industry in Saipan, the settlements will be approved. The final step will be to get"final approval" and then the companies that have settled so far will have to start paying their settlement fees. This final approval will be precedent setting because it force the companies that have already settled to pay up and start being held accountable even though there are still other companies that have not yet settled...and are working very hard to make sure that no settlements get approved.

Those that have not yet settled are:

• GAP Inc.
• Dayton Hudson/Associated Merchandising Corp. (Target and Mervyns)
• J.C. Penney
• Lane Bryant (The Limited)
• Levis
• Talbots
• Abercrombie and Fitch

We need to keep the pressure on GAP and the other retailers and manufacturers that have not settled the lawsuit. CALL, WRITE, and FAX them today!!!

* Write to DAYTON HUDSON , JC Penney, Lane Bryant, LEVIS, Talbots, Abercrombie and Fitch and Brooks Brothers. Demand that they settle the Saipan Lawsuit
immediately! You can find their addresses at
www.globalexchagne.org/economy/corporations/saipan

* FAX Donald Fisher, GAP Co-founder and Chairman and Millard Drexler, GAP's CEO at 415-427-7037 to demand that they use their influence to SETTLE THE SAIPAN LAWSUIT and include a Living Wage in GAP's Code of Conduct.

For more information on the Saipan Lawsuit, check out:
http://www.globalexchange.org/economy/corporations/saipan/update.html