TOS Dominicana

The WRC found substantial, credible evidence that serious violations of domestic law and university codes of conduct have occurred at TOS Dominicana. These violations include the unlawful coercion of workers to sign new employment contracts and complaint waivers reducing workers’ employment rights and benefits, forced and unpaid overtime, failure to pay the legally mandated premium for work at night, verbal harassment and abuse, and the use of a range of illegal means to thwart workers’ efforts to exercise their associational rights.

We have engaged with executives at Hanes, union leaders, officials of the Dominican government, concerned leaders in the US Congress, officials of the US Departments of State and Labor, the staff of the Fair Labor Association (which Hanes joined recently in response to the criticism it has faced over the TOS case), and a range of US and international NGOs.

As a result of the WRC’s efforts, and pressure from the US government, the Dominican government finally took action last fall to verify the union’s claim to represent a majority of workers – the issue at the heart of the ongoing conflict. 

On August 12, 2008, the factory signed a contract with a union representing the plant’s 1,000 workers. Management had unlawfully withheld recognition of the union since the spring of 2007, while carrying out a relentless campaign of coercion designed to thwart workers’ efforts to exercise their associational rights.

Read More:

• WRC Update: Breakthrough at TOS Dominicana – August 19, 2008
• WRC Assessment on TOS Dominicana (Dominican Republic) – June 6, 2007