Union group boycotts American Eagle brand

As American Eagle Outfitters’ back-to-school clothing line hit stores on July 10, thousands… As American Eagle Outfitters’ back-to-school clothing line hit stores on July 10, thousands showed their support for a boycott of AE merchandise headed by Unite Here, an apparel and service workers union.

Unite Here’s American Vulture campaign distributed leaflets at 75 stores nationwide to show its disappointment with AE and the way it treats its employees.

In early spring, prompted by unfair treatment and work environments, the workers of National Logistics Services, a Canada-based distribution contractor for American Eagle, set out to organize under a union.

But as the vote for implementing unions neared, management for NLS launched a massive anti-union campaign.

“Vote no” banners were hung around the workplace, anti-union DVDs were sent to workers’ homes, and two-hour long anti-union meetings were held daily under the supervision of a U.S.-based labor relations firm hired by NLS.

When the votes were counted, the unions came up short.

And now, months later, the battle continues. Although NLS isn’t technically an American Eagle company, Canadian co-director of Unite Here Alex Dagg said the business affiliation still makes AE responsible for the workers at NLS.

“When a company like American Eagle contracts out some of its work and decides not to control its own operations, then they also have to take the consequences of what happens when they do that,” she said.

Even as thousands have signed online petitions supporting the boycott, Dagg still frustrated by American Eagle’s apparent lack of cooperation.

The only dialogue between Unite Here and AE has been a series of letters from American Eagle asking the groups to stop their boycott and saying it is “watching the situation,” according to Dagg.

“They aren’t dealing with the issue,” Dagg said.

Rumors have been circulating, however, that American Eagle’s corporate heads were planning on building their own manufacturing plant in Canada. But whether these rumors are true or not, Dagg said that she believes it’s not a suitable solution and that NLS workers still need help.

Dagg said that she and her organization are further frustrated by the hypocritical sentiments that AE’s code of conduct imply.

“They make a lot of money, and they pass these wonderfully worded documents about how they care about the environment and how they care about the workers,” Dagg said. “Well, make that real.”

American Eagle declined to comment, but American Vulture campaign coordinator Nell Geiser said that AE “hasn’t expressed their willingness to cooperate,” even though Unite Here attended American Eagle’s annual shareholders’ meeting to express its views.

While Unite Here has been leading this fight for months now and has expressed its commitment until the problem is resolved, it doesn’t want this to take too long.

“We really hope AE takes action soon,” Geiser said. “We don’t want to draw this out anymore than we have to.”

When asked if she thinks this issue will be resolved soon, Dagg gave a quick chuckle and said half-disappointedly, “That depends on American Eagle.”