DeLauro Calls on Labor Department to Investigate Garment Industry for Violations

WASHINGTON, DC (May 22, 2017) — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today wrote to the Alexander Acosta, Secretary of the Department of Labor, asking him to take action to improve labor conditions facing workers in the garment industry within the United States. Specifically, DeLauro is asking the agency to investigate the industry's labor practices and policies to determine whether any violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 or the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 have occurred.

"While the garment manufacturing industry has declined overall since the 1960s, we are experiencing increased demand for American-based garment factories. Nearly a third of manufacturers were considering reopening facilities in the United States and 15 percent already had according for a MIT Forum survey for Supply Chain Innovation and Supply Chain Digest," wrote DeLauro. "As we trend forward in this direction, we must protect the thousands of garment industry workers from exploitation from employers who fail to adhere to workplace safety standards or abide by laws that ensure workers are compensated fairly for an honest day's work."

"According to a report published last year by UCLA-COSH and Garment Worker Center specific to the Los Angeles fashion industry, 50 percent of workers surveyed cited poor ventilation, and eye and nose irritation from chemicals," continued DeLauro. "The report found that a third of these workers did not have access to clean drinking water and pointed to several unsanitary and hazardous workplace conditions, including 80 percent of these workers who indicated they did not receive health and safety training, and nearly half of these workers had no access to first aid when injured. While the majority of this industry is concentrated in New York City and Los Angeles, it is important to assess other localities where this is taking place across the United States."

The full letter is available here.

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