Production workers nervous about Monday’s announcement of pending layoffs at American Apparel Inc. plan to protest at the company’s downtown L.A. headquarters Wednesday afternoon. The General Brotherhood of Workers, aided by Hermandad Mexicana, an immigrants’ rights advocacy group based in Santa Ana, is organizing the rally. General Brotherhood has been trying to organize manufacturing workers at American Apparel; Hermandad has been backing ousted founder Dov Charney’s efforts to organize factory workers as well. On Monday, the company released a plan saying it would shut underperforming retail stores as part of an effort to cut $30 million in operating costs over the next 18 months. In an email, a spokeswoman for American Apparel said job cuts would primarily be felt by retail and administrative employees. “As the company is right-sizing its retail fleet, the vast majority of the layoffs will be in the headquarters office and at retail locations,” she said. The workers were also concerned, said Louis Reyes, who is handling communications for Hermandad Mexicana, that some executive offices might be moved out of Los Angeles. “There’s sense among the workers that the managers are going to leave L.A.,” Reyes said. The company spokeswoman did not respond to that speculation. In the greater Valley, the company operates one store in Studio City and a second in the Westfield Topanga mall.
