The jeans get sold in Kohl's stores in the U.S. for 30 dollars. In April and May of last year, the factory's management fired 700 workers for who were affiliated with a union that was working to get an 8 cents wage increase. Since that time, solidarity activists in the U.S., Taiwan, and internationally have mobilized in support of the Chentex workers right to organize. There have been over 400 actions at Kohl's stores, and hundreds of letters have been written to Kohl's, Nien Hsing, and officials in Nicaragua. The workers are currently undergoing another round of negotiations with Chentex management.
Management continues to waffle on signing an agreement.
The clothes get sold in their outlets as well as on University campuses across the country. For the last six weeks, Kuk Dong has been the site of a struggle for freedom of association, just wages and benefits, fair conditions, and an end to physical and verbal abuse as well as forced overtime. Several workers were severely beaten, and 15 were sent to the hospital. Two days later, an agreement was reached to allow the strikers to return to work without reprisals, but shortly after, hundreds of the returning workers were either fired or forced to resign. After an escalation of the pressure campaign in Puebla, as well as among students and community activists in the U.S. and internationally, the company signed a second agreement on January 25th stating that all workers could return to their jobs unconditionally and without reprisal.