From: Blythe Systems Subject: NEWS:Gay,Lesbian Levis Workers Win Rights Via The NY Transfer News Service 718-448-2358, 718-448-2683 LESBIAN AND GAY LEVI STRAUSS WORKERS WIN RIGHTS By Kristanna Thomas (Copyright Workers World Service: Permission to reprint granted if source is cited.) Lesbian and gay workers have won a major victory at Levi Strauss & Co., the world's biggest clothing manufacturing company. The jeans maker announced Feb. 24 it will offer health benefits to gay and straight workers' unmarried partners. Because same-sex marriage is still barred in this country, lesbian and gay workers have had to fight to win medical coverage for their lovers and families. Levi Strauss has now become the biggest company in the country to recognize "domestic partner" rights. Levi's employs 23,000 workers in the U.S. But the firm didn't willingly stop withholding equal benefits from lesbian and gay workers. It took a struggle. A group of lesbian and gay employees has been organizing for some time at the company's San Francisco headquarters, pushing demands to end discrimination. Lesbian members of the Clothing and Textile workers have also been active at unionized Levi's plants in several states. In the last contract negotiations, the union won some rights for lesbian and gay workers in terms of leave provisions. But Levi Strauss had refused to budge on health benefits. Now that the company bowed to workers' pressure, it apparently did so by unilaterally implementing the new policy rather than include it in union contracts. Lesbian and gay labor activists interpreted this as a Levi's attempt to appear magnanimous toward its gay employees while still refusing to deal with the union on the issue. In fact, to hear Levi Strauss tell it, the boss just woke up one day and realized this was the right thing to do. "We want a non-discriminatory workplace," said Reese Smith, Levi's director of employee benefits. "And when we looked at our policies prohibiting discrimination for race, sex, origin, or marital status, we realized our own practices were not in compliance with our policy." In reality, Levi Strauss is a notoriously anti-union company. It has successfully fought off organizing drives at several plants. In Texas, Chicana/Mexicana women are currently fighting to make Levi's pay them back somehow after the company shut down non-union plants with no notice. At its many plants abroad, Levi's workers get extremely low wages and no benefits. Smith certainly wasn't referring to the Levi Strauss maquiladora plants in Mexico when he gushed about equal rights. But lesbian, gay and straight workers have been fighting for union rights there, too; Levi's and other U.S. corporations may find themselves forced to make further concessions. *** This article originally appeared in Workers World newspaper. A 10-week trial subscription is available for $2. A year's subscription costs $15. Makes checks payable to Workers World, and send to 46 W. 21 St., New York, NY 10010.Phone (212) 255-0352. You may contact Workers World editors on NY Transfer or PeaceNet at "workers." -Tm_Write Version 1.30 -ALL the News That Doesn't Fit -LESBIAN & GAY Newsfeed - NY Transfer News Service 718-448-2358