Danny Glover fights for Ohio factory workers

BROOKLYN, Ohio (AP) - Glover is bringing attention to the plight of Ohio workers at a Hugo Boss plant that faces a shutdown next month with the loss of 375 jobs...

TheGrio Staff

Mar 23, 2010

BROOKLYN, Ohio (AP) – Actor and activist Danny Glover has offered hugs and moral support to Cleveland-area workers at a men’s suit plant that faces a shutdown next month with the loss of 375 jobs.

Workers at the Hugo Boss plant in Brooklyn, Ohio, cheered as the star of the “Lethal Weapon” action movies toured the operation Tuesday.

Glover later held a news conference and appealed to Germany’s Hugo Boss AG to reverse its shutdown decision. Glover led a boycott of Hugo Boss formal wear at the Academy Awards earlier this month.

The company says its shutdown decision stands. The company says the union representing workers rejected concessions at the plant, which it says isn’t globally competitive.

Prior to the Academy Awards ceremony, Glover wrote an open letter to the Hollywood community, requesting a boycott of Hugo Boss products on behalf of the workers.

The company says the plant is not globally competitive and under capacity. The union says the plant is profitable and the company is shuttering it because it can make clothing more cheaply in Europe.