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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: 202/219-8211
Nearly sixty-one percent of the Labor Department's investigations of
U.S. garment manufacturers during a recent three-month period resulted in the
discovery of wage and hour violations, according to a new report released today
by Labor Secretary Robert B. Reich. This is the third Quarterly Enforcement
Report issued by the department that tracks garment industry investigations
across the country.
The report--compiled by the Labor Department's Wage and Hour
Division--shows the results of 194 investigations of contractor shops or
manufacturers conducted between July 1 and September 1 of this year. Violations
were found in 118 of these investigations. The department recovered $786,264 in
back wages for 2,208 garment workers and imposed $108,485 in civil penalties
against manufacturers.
"The department's Garment Enforcement Report is a useful tool for
retailers who want to make sure that their shelves are stocked with goods that
are not made by exploited workers. It also provides important information to
consumers who--especially during the upcoming holiday shopping season--care
about the workers who make the clothes," Reich said. He added that any
concerned retailer, manufacturer or consumer can access this information
immediately through the department's internet home page at http://www.dol.gov.
All Garment Enforcement Reports are available by clicking on the "No Sweat" hot
button.
The state of California had the most investigations that resulted in
violations (67 out of 98 investigations) and the largest amount of back wages
owed to workers ($353,686 to 1,013 workers) and civil penalties imposed
($98,100). New York followed with violations discovered in 44 out of 71
investigations. The department recovered $342,382 in back wages for 885 workers
and imposed $7,310 in civil penalties.
Mitzel Corporation, an apparel contractor in North Bergen, NJ owed the
most back wages for its employees ($52,538). Mitzel manufactures garments for
European Club, Bedford Apparel, Sandy Hook Sportswear and D. Glasgow &
Sons, Inc. Fifty thousand dollars in back wages were recovered for employees at
JNT Sewing/Laurel Ann of Garland, TX, which manufactures garments for Focus
Apparel Group of Dallas.
Maria Echaveste, administrator of the department's Wage and Hour
Division, noted that the report also identifies manufacturers that were
contacted because of their own violations, those that have agreed to begin
contractor monitoring programs or have a monitoring program in place, those
manufacturers listed in the report for the first time, and those that have
appeared in prior reports.
She added that the next report, scheduled for February 1997, will also
"indicate when a manufacturer alerted the Labor Department that its contractor
may have wage and hour violations. Both the contractor and the manufacturer
will appear in the report, if contractor violations are found, but with a
notation indicating the assistance of the manufacturer."
One hundred and twenty manufacturers are listed. There were 95 listed in
the last report which was released in August. The first report--issued in May--
listed 209 manufacturers and covered a six month time period. All reports after
the first one cover a three month period.
The quarterly Garment Enforcement Report was initiated at the request of
the nation's retailers, who told Reich that they needed more information about
manufacturers and contractors violating labor laws to help improve compliance.
Reich's "No Sweat" campaign began stepping up garment enforcement in
1993. The Wage and Hour Division adopted an aggressive strategy intended to
encourage manufacturers and retailers to assist in enforcement efforts. Since
then, the Labor Department has recovered more than $10.4 million in wages for
more than 34,000 garment workers.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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