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California bill seeks to end garment sector piece-rate pay
02 Jul '20
2 min read
Pic: Shutterstock
The Garment Worker Protection Act passed the California senate in a 25–11 vote on June 25. The bill seeks to guarantee a minimum wage for garment workers and end the industry standard of piece-rate system—payment by how many garments workers produce during a shift. The bill is still in the legislative process, to be submitted to the state assembly in July.
“It is time that we demand better working conditions for women and just hourly pay for garment workers, who, when paid by the piece, earn on average $5.15 per hour,” said Senator María Elena Durazo, who authored the bill.
The bill also closes what Durazo has criticized as a legal loophole. Retailers and companies who order apparel made in California factories will be responsible for the wages of people employed by contractors who produced the goods.
During past wage disputes, retailers have argued that contractors are solely responsible for wages for items sold at retailers’ stores. Labour advocates criticised the argument as allowing retailers to duck responsibility for paying garment workers’ wages.
Apparel-industry and business groups were strongly opposed to the bill. The trade group California Fashion Association and the California Chamber of Commerce called the bill a job killer. CFA president Ilse Metchek said that the bill would crush opportunities for good sewers to make more money.
“It means that good sewers won’t get a bonus. What they have done is taken money away from the best of them. They have penalized the expert sewers,” she was quoted as saying by media reports from the US state.
In an already struggling domestic apparel industry, Metchek feels that the bill will impede recovery.
“It is time that we demand better working conditions for women and just hourly pay for garment workers, who, when paid by the piece, earn on average $5.15 per hour,” said Senator María Elena Durazo, who authored the bill.
The bill also closes what Durazo has criticized as a legal loophole. Retailers and companies who order apparel made in California factories will be responsible for the wages of people employed by contractors who produced the goods.
During past wage disputes, retailers have argued that contractors are solely responsible for wages for items sold at retailers’ stores. Labour advocates criticised the argument as allowing retailers to duck responsibility for paying garment workers’ wages.
Apparel-industry and business groups were strongly opposed to the bill. The trade group California Fashion Association and the California Chamber of Commerce called the bill a job killer. CFA president Ilse Metchek said that the bill would crush opportunities for good sewers to make more money.
“It means that good sewers won’t get a bonus. What they have done is taken money away from the best of them. They have penalized the expert sewers,” she was quoted as saying by media reports from the US state.
In an already struggling domestic apparel industry, Metchek feels that the bill will impede recovery.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
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