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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: 202-219-8211
Labor Secretary Robert B. Reich said today another
shocking incident of worker abuse in Southern California and the results of
garment sweeps in major cities across the country show appallingly high levels
of labor law violations in the garment industry.
In Southern California this week, department investigators
discovered workers locked in their windowless shop from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
"These workers were only an incident away from a real
tragedy that could have caused serious injury or even death," Reich said. "I am
at a loss to determine what will get the industry's attention. The discovery of
workers being held in slavery in El Monte just months ago and now workers being
literally padlocked at work has failed to jolt serious action in this
industry."
Seventy-two Thai garment workers were found in August 1995
toiling in slave-like conditions in an El Monte, California sweatshop. The
workers were held in an apartment complex surrounded with barbed wire
fencing.
Overall, recent Southern California sweeps revealed only
three of 13 investigated shops in compliance with labor laws. Two of the shops
found not to be in compliance had been cited in previous department
investigations for worker abuses. In Dallas, preliminary results of ongoing
garment sweeps have found only two of six shops in compliance with labor laws.
And as in California, two of the shops cited for violations are previous labor
law offenders. Manufacturers who contracted with the four shops are being asked
to not ship any of the garments until the violations are resolved.
New York investigations of 32 shops found 56 percent in
violation of labor laws. The New York sweep, conducted in early November,
resulted in $200,000 in back wages for 450 workers.
"The continuing abuse of workers in this industry is
shocking and intolerable," Reich said. "This nation will no longer stand by
while unscrupulous employers steal wages from the most vulnerable of workers. I
am once again calling for the industry to come forward and assist law
enforcement efforts to eradicate this worker abuse."
While abuse continues, the departmen'ts ability to police
it is diminishing. The department's Wage and Hour Division is being targeted by
Congress for a 15 percent budget cut that will force all of the agency's
investigators off the job for one month. The division has only 800
investigators to police 6.5 million workplaces in the country.
"If government is forced to do less to protect the wages
and rights of working Americans, then the private sector must do more," Reich
said. "The industry is literally racking up billions of dollars in sales and
turning its back on the workers who produce these garments. Retailers,
manufacturers and contractors must do more."
Last year Reich named 36 retailers as industry
trendsetters, companies who have adopted policies to monitor or require their
manufacturers to monitor working conditions in garment contract shops.
Monitoring, Reich said, can greatly increase industry-wide compliance with
minimum wage and overtime laws.
Overall last year, the department collected more than $2.2
million in back wages for 7,400 workers, representing a one-third increase from
1994.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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