BROOKLYN, OH – Today, following a private meeting with Hugo Boss workers and executives, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the company and its employees have ratified a new, three-year labor contract that will preserve the company’s more than 150 manufacturing jobs in the Cleveland area. The agreement also provides for a new “Made to Order” clothing production for North America this fall. If successful, this new production work could bring additional jobs to the Brooklyn facility.
“I applaud Hugo Boss and Workers United for working together to reach this new agreement. Not only does it preserve the current jobs at Hugo Boss, but it brings the potential for new, good-paying positions to come to Brooklyn later this year,” said Brown, who has worked with Hugo Boss and its workers for several years to preserve the company’s Cleveland-area jobs. “We know how to make things in Ohio—from cars to clothes—which is why Hugo Boss has chosen Brooklyn as its only American manufacturing facility. The textile industry is a vital part of our manufacturing sector, and I look forward to seeing Hugo Boss’ continued success in the Cleveland area.”
The new, three-year labor contract coincides with Hugo Boss’ investment in the new Boss Black collection "Made to Order" program, which will allow customers to design their own suiting and shirting, as well as ties and pocket squares in select Hugo Boss store locations within the U.S. market. All “Made to Order” pieces will be manufactured in the Cleveland-area facility.
“The Cleveland facility is perfectly positioned to make the "Made to Order" process a reality for our customers. With their expertise and diligence, I’m confident that we will produce garments that will exceed the expectations of even the most discerning Special Order customer,” said Mark Brashear, Hugo Boss Chairman and CEO for the Americas. “Better yet, performing the production work in Cleveland means high quality and quick delivery times. It will be a win-win for Hugo Boss and its customers.”
Less than two years ago, the Cleveland facility teetered on the brink of closure. Hugo Boss and Workers United agreed to a new contract that has resulted in a renewed life for the facility. According to Hugo Boss, since 2010, the Cleveland facility has achieved efficiency and quality ratings that are unparalleled in the industry. Brown worked closely with Workers United and Hugo Boss to keep the plant open. In July 2010, Brown joined Hugo Boss workers to celebrate the ‘first suit off the line’ at the Brooklyn plant, which is the only U.S. suit manufacturing facility of the German company.
“We’re excited about this agreement because it gives more opportunity for the hardworking employees in Brooklyn and it offers us a special type of production work that we didn’t have before,” said Mark Milko, Area Director for the Joint Board of Workers United.
Brown has also been a strong supporter of efforts to maintain the Wool Tariff Trust Fund, which levels the playing field for American textile and apparel manufacturers. The “wool trust fund” provides relief for U.S. suit makers and is funded by tariffs on wool imports. It encourages the manufacture of high-quality wool suits—like the ones made at Hugo Boss—and helps preserve American textile jobs.
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