Thanks to Fred Crow for bringing this story to UR.

Hugo Boss, which manufactures union-made suits in Brooklyn, Ohio, announced it is closing its shop -- 300 union jobs will be cut by April 2010.

"Hugo Boss plans to continue to pay the 300 workers in Cleveland to the end of April 2010 even if production needs diminish prior to that date," the company said in a news release. "Beyond this, management intends to work closely with the union to negotiate a fair severance package."

Workers United, the union representing workers at the plant, has been negotiating with Hugo Boss for nearly a year on ways to turn around the plant.

Workers United said Hugo Boss told labor leaders early in negotiations that it wanted to move suit production to low-wage plants in Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria.

From articles around this issue, I learned the union was working with the company to help save the plant -- but negotiations weren't going anywhere and capacity was down nearly 40%. While it is unsure if the company drove the plant to the ground, leaving no choice but to close -- but what is certain is that 300 good union jobs will be lost in an area of the country already devestated by a crumbling economy.