Rights organization praises Lion Apparel

Wednesday, April 15, 2009  Dayton Daily News

By Thomas Gnau

DAYTON — An organization fighting what it calls “sweatshops” is praising Dayton-based Lion Apparel for its response to complaints about conditions in a Honduras plant.

In “Subsidizing Sweatshops II,” a report embargoed until today, April 15, SweatFree Communities said its research partners last year fielded complaints from workers, including “below-minimum wages, forced overtime, lack of legally mandated social security payments and pregnancy testing.”

The plant, in Siguatepeque, Honduras, employs about 500 workers, making public employee uniforms for Lion Apparel, headquartered on Poe Avenue, Mason’s Cintas Corp. and Fechheimer Brothers Co., the report said.

The organization said Lion initially said its own audits found no evidence of violations.

“However, the company also signaled an openness to consider any new evidence that may come to light and to take corrective action as necessary,” the report added, referring to Lion.

The report also praises Steve Schwartz, chief executive and fourth-generation owner of Lion Apparel, for writing and distributing a letter to workers at the plant.

The letter, quoted in part in the report, said Lion Apparel will accept “suggestions and truthful and sincere complaints” from current workers. Schwartz also said Lion will not respond to any complaints by withdrawing business from the plant.

In a statement released this morning, Lion said follow-up assessments showed that “many” of SweatFree’s claims were “misrepresentations.” The statement did not identify which claims the company felt were misleading.

“Should anyone care to visit the facility, they will find a clean, well-lit, well-ventilated manufacturing facility that provides legally compliant wages and benefits to its employees,” Schwartz said in the statement.

Hayley Fudge, a Lion spokeswoman, said the company has no response beyond the prepared statement.

Lion has about 100 employees locally.

Victoria Kaplan, spokeswoman for SweatFree, said her organization stands by its research, which she said was gathered by more than one organization.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@DaytonDailyNews.com.