Levi Strauss & Company Defends Its Record

To the Editor:

I am writing in response to a letter to the editor from a group called Fuerza Unida (“Levi’s Is Uncharitable Toward Its Workers,” July 16). The letter, written in response to your article “Philanthropy Is in the Family Genes” (May 21), contains inaccuracies and mislead ing statements concerning Levi Strauss & Company and our commitment to corporate social responsibility. I wish to set the record straight.

Levi Strauss & Company has demonstrated time and again its leadership in corporate social responsibility, fairness in the workplace, and commitment to the quality of community life. In 1990, when the company made the difficult decision to close a manufacturing plant in San Antonio, we went well beyond our legal obligations to minimize the impact of the closure and to treat our employees fairly. Employees were given more notice than required by law; we extended health-care benefits; and we invested more than $1-million in services such as education, training, and job placement.

In November 1997, when the company announced the closure of 11 production plants in the United States, we did so by establishing an employee benefit and support package valued at $200-million. In addition, the Levi Strauss Foundation set aside $8-million in grant funds to support communities affected by the closures. The Levi Strauss Foundation resources are being used to support communitywide job-training efforts, microenterprise programs, and local human services.

As a leader in responsible manufacturing, Levi Strauss & Company was the first company to develop a comprehensive workplace code of conduct in 1991 both for our own factories and for the contractors who produce our products. Implementing this code, called the “Global Sourcing and Operating Guidelines,” has been a major undertaking and involves the education and monitoring of our contractors around the world. The guidelines have proven to be an effective tool for identifying problems in the workplace, designing responsible solutions, and insuring compliance. As part of this effort, the company and the Levi Strauss Foundation operate a grants program in selected countries to support local community development.

Levi Strauss & Company is committed to achieving responsible commercial success. It does so by balancing the interests of its business, shareholders, employees, and communities.

Richard Woo
Public-Affairs Director
Levi Strauss & Company
San Francisco