Chinese garment workers demand back wages
1992Barbara Putnam 1992-11Read it in the scan (PDF at ETOL), page 15 →
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SAN FRANCISCO-Twelve Chinese (AIWA), the organization championing women garment workers in the San Fran- the cause of the Chinese workers, has cisco Bay Area are fighting for back been actively defending them in the Bay wages of more than $15,000 owed by Area through demonstrations and rallies Lucky Sewing Co. of Oakland, a former focused on pressuring Jessica McClintock Jessica McClintock sweat-shop contrac- Inc. to pay up-since Lucky Sewing is January, and there was no protection for Although manufacturers are not legally You would never know by looking at wages, organizers believe that manufac Jessica McClintock's frilly, romantic turers such as McClintock should be attire-which hangs in expensive shops bound by labor rights and human nights like Macy's-anything about the lives of to provide decent wages and conditions Has Jessica McClintock, a successful, Too often, they say, contractors in the rich clothing designer ever tried to feed a fiercely competitive garment business bid JIm Wost family on starvation wages by working for jobs for less than it takes to provide in pure profit. seven days a week, 10 hours a day? Is she even a minimum wage or enough to pay On Oct. 13, about 200 protesters At a public forum held at San Franciseven aware of the dust-filled shops and the workers for overtime hours. back-breaking labor of the women gar- Young Shin, AIWA's executive direc- headquarters-chanting, pounding drums, by the Philippino American Collegiate ment workers-that is, when they are tor says, "We are saying garment and carrying placards.
manufacturers should be responsible to They also held a rally on Oct. 20 in explained through a translator how hard it The hidden lives of immigrant Chinese the women who sew their products." San Francisco to launch a national cam- is for the seamstresses, who have few garment wotkers are coming into the (Oakland Tribune, Oct. 14, 1992). light of day, exposing the reality behind As an example, Shin explains that for substandard wages and horrible working guage and cultural barriers, to come the fiercely competitive garment industry. every $120 dress, labor costs costs equal conditions suffered by immigrant Chinese forward and face the possibility of being These workers often accept their lot in $10, material $15, and contractors $10. women. One sign read, "Hell no, we blacklisted in the industry. Their courage silence. But now they are raising their Jessica McClintock thus clears about $85 won't sew!" Another said, "Jessica, our is a real inspiration to all workers. 14 SOCIALIST ACTION NOVEMBER 1992 tor. Lucky Sewing Co. went belly up in defunct.
these workers.
the workers who make these garments. for workers.
being paid U.S. Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685).
1A. Title of publication: Socialist Action IB. Publication n.: 721090 2. Date of filing: Oct. 15, 1992 3. Frequency of issue: Monthly. A) No. of issues published annually: 12. B). Annual subscription price: $8.00.
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6. Full names and complete mailing address of publisher, editor, and managing editor. Publisher: Socialist Action Publishing Assoc., 3425 Army St., San Francisco, CA 94110-4543. Editor: Michael Schreiber and Joseph Ryan, 3425 Army St., San Francisco, CA 94110-4543.
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Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date. A. Total no. copies printed (net press run): 2500. B. Paid and/or requested circulation (1) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter sales: 1067. (2) Mail subscription (Paid and/or requested): 705. C. Total paid and/or requested circulation (Sum of 10B1 and 10B2):1772. D. Free distribution by mail, carrier or other means, samples, complimentary, and other free copies: 71. E. Total distribution (Sum of C and D): 1843. P. Copies not distributed (1) office use, left over, unaccounted, spoiled after printing: 657. (2) Return from news agents: O. G. Total (Sum of E, Fl and 2-should equal net press run shown in A: 2500.
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(signed)
Joseph Ryan Business Manager
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voices and fighting for their rights. Asian Immigrant Women Advocates responsible for a contractor's default on
fingers bleed for you." Endeavor, one of the Chinese workers