Levi-Strauss to settle out of court

This month, the last of three lawsuits over sweatshop conditions on the U.S. island of Saipan came to a close. Saipan garment workers voluntarily dismissed their class action lawsuit against Levi-Strauss and Company, the only retailer to refuse to contribute to a settlement fund for the workers. Recognizing that they had already won a landmark $20 million settlement with 26 other U.S. retailers and 23 Saipan garment factories, the workers and labor advocates involved in the lawsuit declared victory. Back payments for up to 30,000 Saipan workers, including those who sewed Levi’s, are being distributed and an independent monitoring program of Saipan garment factories, including those that produced Levi’s, has begun.

During the course of the five-year litigation, many important gains were made for Saipan’s garment workers. At the same time, anti-sweatshop activists tested new legal strategies and campaigned against the world’s biggest retailers. While the settlement is viewed as a significant victory, several challenges emerged, which lend valuable lessons for future anti-sweatshop campaigns.

Report Courtesy of www.cleanclothes.org