American Apparel workers unite to protest factory conditions
The punches just keep coming for once beloved hipster fashion label
American Apparel. First, they had their controversy with Dov Charney last
year over allegations of sexual harassment, then they fired Creative
Director Iris Alonzo, only to re-hire her, and recently fire her again, and
now apparently their workers are in uprising. With the backing of Hermandad
Mexico, the immigrant’s rights advocacy non-profit group, factory workers
at American Apparel have joined together to form a coalition to advocate
for their rights before the new corporate management.
The new corporate management is controlled by New York hedge fund Standard
General, who has usurped control from controversial founder Dov Charney.
Charney has no intention of letting American Apparel go without a fight,
however. Last week 300 factory workers gathered in a backyard in South
Central L.A. where he attempted to victimize himself and say that he had
been betrayed by the new board, and the new corporate management structure
is dangerous because they don’t have any connection to the company’s roots.
There is even a hashtag for his supporters on twitter, #TeamDov.
While American Apparel has eternally been criticized by human rights and
workers rights group with little recourse, workers just might stand a shot
this time at enacting some real change. New CEO Paula Schneider is
determined to try and revamp American Apparel’s image, and showing that she
is actually invested in doing some good for factory worker’s conditions
might be a nice start. The intentions of the new coalition are to save
American Apparel, as the group is respectfully titled “Coalition of
American Apparel Factory Workers United to Save American Apparel.”
American Apparel factory workers attempt to improve working
conditions
Several of the group’s demands include ending the use of the term
“Sweatshop Free” in advertising, ending the blind reduction of production
hours and the furloughing of workers, and ending the intimidation and
harassment that comes from supervisors and security guards who refuse to
let factory workers meet to discuss what can be done to improve workplace
conditions. Dov Charney may have had a point when he said it was dangerous
that the new corporate management structure was dangerous due to their lack
of ties to the company’s roots. In a statement spokesperson Maria Luis
Salgado was quoted saying, “The current situation of intimidation by large
and gruff security guards directed at workers for having a flyer calling
for meetings, and interrogating them about meetings, is a violation of the
U.S. Constitution and the National Labor Relations Board Act. We are
involved in protected activity, and such harassment needs to stop
immediately.” […]The current corporate management is estranged from the
cultural spirit that existed at American Apparel under the leadership of
its founder, Dov Charney. Under the new management, we do not feel safe or
dignified.”
Currently under the new management 4500 local manufacturing jobs are at
risk. The coalition has plans to hold several meetings in an attempt to
save these jobs and improve workers conditions. While a new day is dawning
for the entire infrastructure at American Apparel it has still yet to be
seen whether it will be a good or bad day. Between the ongoing controversy
with Dov Charney and dissatisfied factory workers who knows what could
happen to the brand next. Hopefully Schneider will be able to usher the
brand out of its darkest hour, and bring it back to a level of
respectability in addition to improving conditions for frustrated factory
workers.
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