Photo by Amy Ta.
The garment factory 9B Apparel in Huntington Park buzzes with the sound of needles stitching seams, as workers hunch over rows of machines to make jeans and denim jackets. They work hard, but unlike other garment workers, they’re earning minimum wage for every hour of their labor. While this might not be noteworthy in most industries, wage theft has long been the norm in the garment factories of Los Angeles.
But a new state law that went into effect this year is pushing more manufacturers to pay at least minimum wage. It has also inspired workers to campaign for better protections outside of California, which might stop businesses from fleeing the state.
Making clothes requires speed, precision, and knowledge of industrial machinery. That skill isn’t always reflected in paychecks. A 2016 investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor found that 85% of Southern California clothing manufacturers were violating wage regulations, paying their workers below minimum wage, or providing no overtime for long hours. The retailers that were contracting these manufacturers include Forever 21, Fashion Nova, and TJ Maxx.
This wage theft happened largely because paying piece rate was standard in the industry, says Marissa Nuncio, director of the nonprofit Garment Worker Center.
“Instead of getting paid hourly, they were getting paid per piece, per sewing operation, or per trimming operation, per pressing operation,” says Nuncio. “Those piece rates could be as low as two...
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