American Apparel workers unite to protest factory conditions

The punches just keep coming for once beloved hipster fashion label American Apparel. First, they had their controversy with Dov Charney last year over allegations of sexual harassment, then they fired Creative Director Iris Alonzo, only to re-hire her, and recently fire her again, and now apparently their workers are in uprising. With the backing of Hermandad Mexico, the immigrant’s rights advocacy non-profit group, factory workers at American Apparel have joined together to form a coalition to advocate for their rights before the new corporate management.

The new corporate management is controlled by New York hedge fund Standard General, who has usurped control from controversial founder Dov Charney. Charney has no intention of letting American Apparel go without a fight, however. Last week 300 factory workers gathered in a backyard in South Central L.A. where he attempted to victimize himself and say that he had been betrayed by the new board, and the new corporate management structure is dangerous because they don’t have any connection to the company’s roots. There is even a hashtag for his supporters on twitter, #TeamDov.

While American Apparel has eternally been criticized by human rights and workers rights group with little recourse, workers just might stand a shot this time at enacting some real change. New CEO Paula Schneider is determined to try and revamp American Apparel’s image, and showing that she is actually invested in doing some good for factory worker’s conditions might be a nice start. The intentions of the new coalition are to save American Apparel, as the group is respectfully titled “Coalition of American Apparel Factory Workers United to Save American Apparel.”

American Apparel factory workers attempt to improve working conditions

Several of the group’s demands include ending the use of the term “Sweatshop Free” in advertising, ending the blind reduction of production hours and the furloughing of workers, and ending the intimidation and harassment that comes from supervisors and security guards who refuse to let factory workers meet to discuss what can be done to improve workplace conditions. Dov Charney may have had a point when he said it was dangerous that the new corporate management structure was dangerous due to their lack of ties to the company’s roots. In a statement spokesperson Maria Luis Salgado was quoted saying, “The current situation of intimidation by large and gruff security guards directed at workers for having a flyer calling for meetings, and interrogating them about meetings, is a violation of the U.S. Constitution and the National Labor Relations Board Act. We are involved in protected activity, and such harassment needs to stop immediately." […]The current corporate management is estranged from the cultural spirit that existed at American Apparel under the leadership of its founder, Dov Charney. Under the new management, we do not feel safe or dignified."

Currently under the new management 4500 local manufacturing jobs are at risk. The coalition has plans to hold several meetings in an attempt to save these jobs and improve workers conditions. While a new day is dawning for the entire infrastructure at American Apparel it has still yet to be seen whether it will be a good or bad day. Between the ongoing controversy with Dov Charney and dissatisfied factory workers who knows what could happen to the brand next. Hopefully Schneider will be able to usher the brand out of its darkest hour, and bring it back to a level of respectability in addition to improving conditions for frustrated factory workers.