The World - News from Nov. 17, 1986

At least 2,000 factory workers have been dismissed from their jobs in Haiti in a campaign aimed at halting a union-organizing drive that began with the fall of the government of Jean-Claude (“Baby Doc”) Duvalier last February, a top Haitian businessman said. Andre Apaid, president of a newly formed export development program for Haiti, told reporters at a news conference in Miami that the workers were fired mostly by the owners of small plants that work under contract to U.S. firms in the production of textile and electronic goods. U.S. officials estimate that 48% of Haiti’s work force in unemployed.