10-31-05,9:14am

Don't Let the World's Largest Media Conglomerate Get Away with It!

A group of young, mostly female workers in Hidalgo, Mexico, some as young as 13 years-old, who have made Harry Potter and other Halloween costumes with Warner Brother logos, have been illegally locked out for protesting child labor violations, unsafe and unjust working conditions, and the company’s refusal to recognize their collective bargaining agreement. Time Warner, the world's largest media conglomerate, through its subsidiary Warner Brothers, has given worldwide rights to all Warner Brothers properties to Rubie’s Costume Company of New York City, the world’s largest costume company, to produce Halloween costumes such as 'Harry Potter', 'Star Wars' and 'Lord of the Rings'. Rubie's exports the Warner Brothers brand costumes to North America and Western Europe.

Despite the workers' limited engagement with Time Warner, the company has not taken strong steps to insist that Rubie's fix the violations and solve the labor conflict. Rubie's has not reemployed the locked out workers seeking reinstallment and has ignored its previously-signed collective bargaining agreement with the workers' democratically-chosen union. Worksite violations such as child labor, forced pregnancy testing, horrible sanitary conditions and frequent workplace accidents have yet to be addressed through the workers’ union.

Workers are demanding that Time Warner ensure the following points are met, or else suspend business with Rubie's in Mexico until a fair resolution is reached:

1. Rubie's and its clients must take public responsibility for the company’s actions.

2. They must respect the signed collective bargaining agreement with the workers' democratically-chosen union, the FTVO.

3. A support fund must be established for the families of the underage workers to enable them to complete their educations.

4. They must pay the lost wages of the workers for the time they have been locked out.

5. They must commit to an independent monitoring mechanism (for example, the Worker Rights Consortium or an independent Mexican organization) to ensure that Rubie's factories in Mexico comply with Mexican law.

6. And Rubie's must guarantee neutrality in any union organizing effort at its factories or those of its subcontractors.

Send email message to Time Warner Chairman to protest worksite violations

Below is the text of email :

Dear Richard D. Parsons, Chairman and CEO, Time Warner

I am writing to inform Time Warner that I am outraged at the use of child labor at the Rubie's de Mexico factory in Tepeji del Rio, Hidalgo. I understand that, despite having been contacted nearly three months ago, your subsidiary, Warner Brothers, has yet to take strong steps to insist that Rubie's fix the violations and solve the labor conflict affecting over 60 workers who were illegally locked out for protesting child labor violations, unsafe and unjust working conditions, and Rubie's refusal to recognize their collective bargaining agreement.

I understand workers have suffered worksite violations such as child labor, forced pregnancy testing, horrible sanitary conditions and frequent workplace accidents. Rubie's has not reemployed the locked out workers seeking reinstallment and has ignored its previously-signed collective bargaining agreement with the workers’ democratically-chosen union.

It is unacceptable that the world's largest media conglomerate, through its licensee Rubie's, benefits from the use of child labor. Though I understand that Warner Brothers costumes are not currently produced at the factory, nevertheless, your company’s license to Rubie's is by far its most important worldwide manufacturing license.

I demand that Time Warner ensure the following points are met, or else suspend business with Rubie's in Mexico until a fair resolution is reached:

1. Rubie's and its clients must take public responsibility for the company's actions. 2. They must respect the signed collective bargaining agreement with the workers' democratically-chosen union, the FTVO. 3. A support fund must be established for the families of the underage workers to enable them to complete their educations. 4. They must pay the lost wages of the workers for the time they have been locked out. 5. They must commit to an independent monitoring mechanism (for example, the Worker Rights Consortium or an independent Mexican organization) to ensure that Rubie’s factories in Mexico comply with Mexican law. 6. And Rubie's must guarantee neutrality in any union organizing effort at its factories or those of its subcontractors.

I look forward to your timely response.

Sincerely,