U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division said in a release that, ‘Made in America’ doesn’t mean garment workers are treated fairly.
Justar Fashion, the US garments supplier failed to pay its workers minimum wage and overtime, sometimes paying them on a piece-rate basis.
But, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, which has been effected from July 24, 2009, reads The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
There is more than 45,000 workers. Mostly from Latino and Asian immigrants, they cut and sew clothing in Los Angeles.
As per the department notice, Justar Fashion supposed to pay $145,290 in back wages for 32 employees, but an email to Justar Fashion bounced back; there was no answer at a phone number listed for Justar, which was unable to take messages.
Stitch Fix, Indigo and Evereve are the Justar’s clients, Stitch Fix said in a mail, “Justar Fashion doesn’t produce apparel for Stitch Fix. Indigo and Evereve didn’t return a request for comment.”
Earlier this month, The U.S. government has clear and enforced labor regulations to prevent labor violations in all industries.
Besides, The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to making sure garment industry workers receive all of the wages they have earned, including overtime, and any worker should contact the office with questions about their wages and hours.
Los Angeles has become the epicenter of the U.S. garment industry, and the latest finding from the Labor Department is just one in a long string of abuses cited by the agency.
In 2015, the Garment Worker Center released a report detailing rodent and cockroach-infested facilities, inadequate plumbing and unclean bathrooms, and poor housing conditions.
