Danny Glover Asks Oscar Attendees to Boycott Wearing Hugo Boss in Protest of Cleveland Plant Closing

Danny Glover is calling for Academy Awards nominees and others in the film industry attending the Oscars tonight not to wear Hugo Boss suits at the awards ceremony. The activist actor, in collaboration with the Workers United labor union, made the request in a letter on behalf of 375 Cleveland, OH, area factory workers who will lose their jobs if the company closes the plant at the end of next month as planned.

In the letter dated February 26, Glover asks Hollywood to "take a small stand for American workers." In addition to not wearing Hugo Boss suits, he is asking Oscar attendees to wear on their lapels a pin that reads "Keep the Hugo Boss Plant Open."

Workers United represents most of the employees at the Cleveland-area plant and says that the plant is profitable, but that the company is shutting it down because it can make clothing more cheaply in Europe. Hugo Boss has a facility in Turkey, as well as contract workers in Romania and Bulgaria.

The union, which is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union, is also asking fans to join Glover by signing an online petition urging Hollywood to forgo wearing Hugo Boss at the Oscars.

Hugo Boss, which is based out of Metzigen, Germany, says that the Ohio plant is under capacity and isn't globally competitive. The plant makes two lines of men's suits.

During negotiations last year, Hugo Boss told workers that it wanted to lower wages from $13 per hour to $8.30. COO Andreas Stockert said that the company negotiated in good faith with the union and that it had a responsibility to shareholders, announcing the plant's closing in December.

Hugo Boss also employs about 900 people throughout the United States in its stores and showrooms, as well as in administrative positions.