Protest against local retailer planned for next week
A local retailer is defending itself in court against claims that it sells clothing produced in area sweatshops.
Forever 21, a retailer of women’s and junior’s clothing in the Santa Monica Place shopping mall, has been sued by 19 Latino garment workers who worked in six Los Angeles-area sweatshops.
The workers, both legal and illegal immigrants, claim they were paid less than minimum wage, weren’t paid for overtime and worked in unhealthy conditions.
The Garment Worker Center, which is an independent Los Angles-based non profit organization, has enlisted several local Green Party politicians to help fight against Forever 21. Santa Monica Mayor Mike Feinstein and Mayor Pro Tem Kevin McKeown have signed a boycott against the retailer. Other signatories are Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg and Los Angeles City Council member Eric Garcetti.
The Westside Greens will meet next week to hear several garment workers’ stories and more about their planned protest in Santa Monica, which is scheduled for March 10 at Broadway Avenue and Third Street. The Forever 21 store at Santa Monica Place is one of a chain of more than 100 stores in the United States.
Forever 21 spokesman Chris Lee said the claims are meritless. The workers were employed by subcontractors who were hired by the manufacturers who make the clothing his company buys, Lee said.
“We were never a direct employer,” he said. “They should have sued the right people.”
“We were never a direct employer. They should have sued the right people.” — — CHRIS LEE Forever 21 spokesman
Lee said he could not reveal who the subcontractors are because of the pending lawsuit, which asks that workers recieve back pay and better work conditions. However, he added that he admires Garment Worker Center, but added that it is barking up the wrong tree by alleging Forever 21 mistreats its employees.
“They have a great cause,” he said. “But they are hurting us in the public, picketing the owner’s house, our stores... they are basically trying to ruin us financially.”
But the workers claim they are the ones being financially harmed.
“At first they promised that I would be paid $300 to $350 per week, but when I went to pick up my first pay-check it was only for $250 even though I had put in extra hours in overtime,” said Araceli Castro, a former employee who sewed clothing for Forever 21. “My boss claimed that she would pay me more when there was more work, but she never did.”
Garment Worker Center spokewoman Kimi Lee said the organization opened a hotline three or four months ago for garment workers to air their grievances. Kimi Lee said a few people from several different factories throughout Los Angeles came forward with the same claims about Forever 21. She said they didn’t know each other and came forward individually.
After the organization learned of the claims, it tried to work with Forever 21, but the two sides were unable to come to an agreement. Forever 21 maintined it wasn’t the direct employer and no evidence could be found to prove otherwise.
“They said they didn’t know who the subcontractors were,” Lee said. “Obviously it’s your business so you should know who is working for you.”
There are 140,000 garment workers in Los Angeles, making it the largest city in the country for clothing production.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 1, 2002. Read the original PDF.