Gap

July 25, 2008

Recently, there have been numerous articles posted on this blog citing sweatshop conditions in other countries, such as Bangladesh, India, and China. Unfortunately, the New York State Department of Labor has found comparable workers’ rights violations right here in the local area of Long Island City, Queens, New York, where a manufacturer violated the state’s minimum wage and overtime laws by paying by piece rate, falsified timesheets, refused to pay overtime, and coached employees to lie to investigators (NYS Dept. of Labor). Jin Shun and Venture 47, and even more recently, Garlee NY Incorporated are all names of one garment contractor located at 47-51 33rd Street. The factory changed its name several times to try to elude investigation (NYT).

July 7, 2008

Have you ever wondered how large retail chain stores are able to sell name brand clothes for so cheap? The price may not be as cheap as it seems. Usually, the first thing that comes to mind is to question the quality of the merchandise. However, raw material is not the only resource big companies have skimped on in the name of high profits.