A Small Glimpse into the Wild Success of L.A. Sweatshops
As American as apple pie and embarrassment, sweatshop-made clothing has been a reality in the City of Angels for decades.
- What is a sweatshop?
According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, a sweatshop is “a shop or factory in which employees work for long hours at low wages and under unhealthy conditions.”
The Garment Worker Center in Los Angeles more specifically defines a sweatshop as “a workplace where workers are subject to extreme exploitation, including the absence of a living wage or benefits, poor working conditions, such as health and safety hazards, and arbitrary discipline.”
- How many sweatshops are really in L.A.?
In a 1995 New York Times article titled “Los Angeles Sweatshops are Thriving”, The Economic Development Corporation of Los Angeles reported that out of 120,000 garment industry workers, up to 20,000 worked in sweatshop conditions.
Since then, the garment industry has boomed and an increasing number of sweatshops have popped up all over the city.
The U.S. Department Labor also reports that the 50% of all garment factories boast sweatshop conditions.
- Why are there are so many sweatshops?
There are plenty of reasons. Here are a few examples:
1) The Department of Labor does not have enough officials to enforce anti-sweatshop legislation. While there is a vast number of garment factories in L.A.; the city does not have an efficient system of monitoring all of them. Instead, laws require factories have an internal regulating system. These systems often fail to sufficiently protect workers’ rights.
2) Sweatshop workers, often disadvantaged by cultural and language barriers in poverty-stricken communities, are reluctant to rise up against their employers because this would mean risking their jobs and the well-being of their families.
3) Undocumented workers face intense fears of being discovered while advocating against the powerful owners of the garment conglomerates. Their conditions bar them from demanding better treatment from their employers.
- Who works at the sweatshops?
Mostly women of Latino and Asian descent. However, Caucasians, African Americans, and other immigrants from all over the world work in sweatshops.
- What has been done to fight sweatshops lately?
Some activist groups in L.A. have won small victories that are as simple as clean bathrooms for workers in garment factories. Every little victory has been a stepping stone toward the humane treatment of garment workers.
Also, some activist groups have had a nationwide impact. For example, in 2001, The Garment Worker Center successfully campaigned against Forever 21 (one of the biggest nationwide clothing retailers) after fighting for recognition for over three years. The owner of the company, Don Chang, has verbally agreed to promote a better working environment for Forever 21 workers. Such verbal agreements make it difficult to hold Chang responsible for the continuing sweatshop labor practices in his company, yet nevertheless allude to a promising future for more anti-sweatshop movements.
- What can I do to minimize support of sweatshop labor?
1) Stay aware. It may be difficult to revamp an entire wardrobe with non-sweatshop apparel, but it’s not as hard to stay informed. The internet can be a great resource as well as simply asking your favorite retailer about who made your clothes.
2) If you can make your own clothes, that would be awesome.
3) Shopping at second-hand stores.
4) Consider buying from union-made and co-op factories. There are listings all over the internet, including tons of links at No Sweat Apparel.
- But I shop at American Apparel, so that’s cool, right?
Yes…and kinda maybe no. Workers at American Apparel are paid above minimum wage, receive health care coverage, are recognized as vital contributors to the industry, and many other benefits that the majority of garment workers in L.A. only dream of. However, the fact that Dov Charney’s infamous trademark, “sweatshop free” was copyrighted in efforts to protect his number one marketing strategy invites some suspicion. This rises controversial discourse about whether or not the “sweatshop free” slogan of American Apparel stems from compassion for human rights or an integral part of the paperchasing fashion industry. Futhermore, as the documentary film titled No Sweat illustrates, although American Apparel is one of the more progressive garment factories; it is not necessarily the guardian angel of them. Workers are strongly discouraged from forming solidarity among each other.
Photos via: America Documentary Inc.
and National Public Radio
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6 responses so far ↓
1 Rhommel // Jul 2, 2008 at 9:31 am
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2 Katrina Nierva // Jul 2, 2008 at 10:43 am
Great article, Tiff! I am putting this on my RSS feed!
3 Kendra // Jul 2, 2008 at 12:31 pm
No Sweat is going in the ole’ queue pronto.
4 Andrew // Jul 2, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Tiffany,
Thank you for your very informative post.
I have long been aware of the problems with sweatshops in third world countries, but often less attention is given to their presence in developed countries like America.
I would certainly not have picked L.A. as a place for sweatshops, but then again, where illegal migrants are bought in, they are often vulnerable to being forced to work in such conditions.
What should be done? Several things.
Firstly, apparel manufacturers should be required by law to have periodic inspections into labor conditions conducted by qualified, independent auditors.
Secondly, penalties for breaches of labor law must be made sufficiently harsh as to deter the practice.
Thirdly, mechanisms need to be provided to protect illegal immigrants who come forward. Perhaps some kind of immunity or asylum could be granted to whilstle blowers.
Fourthly, there needs to be an easy mechanism for members of the public to report factories suspected of sweatshop conditions.
Fifty, in relation to overseas sweatshops, developed nations should make the right to sell apparel products in their countries conditional upon compliance with a set of minimum labor standards which apparel manufacturers must apply on a worldwide basis.
Cheers
Andrew
5 Tiffany Nocon // Jul 3, 2008 at 7:53 am
Thank you all for the feedback!
Andrew, if you’re working on any campaigns let me know how I can learn more about them!
Tiffany
6 Andrew // Jul 3, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Thanks Tiffany,
Unfortunately, I’m not working on any campaigns.
I’m afraid all I’m doing is working on a business ethics blog - a long way from a campaign.
But I did come across something which might interest you when I did a story on my blog this week about Nike and sweatshop conditions in third world countries.
The link below shows a short interview with Jim Keady, a former American soccer player. Jim recently spent a month in a Nike sweatshop factory in Indonesia. His story details the conditions Nike factory workers face.
The interview can be seen at http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=5810771
Cheers
Andrew
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