JoeAnne Company International Factory (JoeAnne Dominicana)

In 2013, the WRC conducted an investigation of JoeAnne Dominicana in response to a complaint alleging that employees were dismissed in retaliation for exercising their associational rights. The WRC’s investigation found compelling evidence that at least five workers were terminated in retaliation for participating in a meeting with representatives of a union federation. The WRC also found evidence that at least one worker was dismissed for perceived union activities after being seen conversing regularly with identified union leaders and that another worker was fired after stating that she believed workers had been fired for attempting to form a union. In response to the WRC’s recommendations for corrective actions, the factory reinstated six of the seven fired workers who wished to return to the job.

A second investigation was conducted in 2015 in response to a complaint submitted by three JoeAnne Dominicana employees who alleged that they had been fired from their jobs in retaliation for participating in establishing a union at the factory. However, in this case, the WRC’s investigation of the terminations did not find sufficient evidence to support the union’s claim that the termination of these workers violated Dominican law, international labor standards, and/or university codes of conduct. While the company was unwilling to rescind the termination of the three workers, JoeAnne Dominicana and the workers’ union agreed to improve communication between the parties in order to resolve future disputes.

Read More:

• Worker Rights Consortium Assessment re JoeAnne Dominicana – December 22, 2015
• WRC Update: Workers Reinstated at JoeAnne Dominicana (Dominican Republic) – June 20, 2013
• WRC Assessment re JoeAnne Dominicana – May 31, 2013