American Apparel
As much as I'd love to be a dedicated anti-sweatshop activist, I am also a clotheshorse, and truth be told, DC is lacking in affordable thrift stores (we do have lots of pricey consignment and vintage stores, however).
For this reason, I was excited to hear the news that American Apparel will be opening up a store here this summer. (They're expanding like crazy! Apparently, they are trying to move beyond the "sweat free" label and be known for the quality and style of their apparel instead...) But, I remembered conversations with UNITE! when I was in college about a possible campaign against them. See, although they rely heavily on their "sweat free" image, they actually are pretty exploitative of workers, and have pulled out the stops to prevent workers from organizing a union. (See this press release from UNITE!)
It brings up a dilemma, which is what I think is preventing UNITE from organizing an all out campaign: is it better to encourage a successful company that is at least recognizing the issue of workers' rights to keep trying, in the hopes of the "ripple effect" the example could have on other garment companies (obviously, a lot of organizing and pressure is necessary to get those companies to act on workers' rights, but it'd be great to have an example company to point to), or is it better to urge companies, even the better ones, to be accountable, and to expose deceptions for what they are? As a movement, should anti-sweatshop activists push for all or nothing, or accept the "better than nothing" steps that happen along the way? As an individual consumer, is it better to spend my dollars there than at any other store?
I think that my preference would be to hold AA to the fire. To encourage them to continue using the sweatshop free label, but to be accountable so that the label means something. It's a win-win situation: they can use unions as a big marketing plus (although maybe with their new marketing direction, it's not in the cards...), anti-sweatshop activists have a poster child, and the workers get the benefits of a union along with the much touted AA conditions that already exist (which are not quite as great as they'd like you to think, I'm sure).
So,what am I going to do when AA comes? Boycott? Write an article? Organize? Shop? I'll keep you posted...
For this reason, I was excited to hear the news that American Apparel will be opening up a store here this summer. (They're expanding like crazy! Apparently, they are trying to move beyond the "sweat free" label and be known for the quality and style of their apparel instead...) But, I remembered conversations with UNITE! when I was in college about a possible campaign against them. See, although they rely heavily on their "sweat free" image, they actually are pretty exploitative of workers, and have pulled out the stops to prevent workers from organizing a union. (See this press release from UNITE!)
It brings up a dilemma, which is what I think is preventing UNITE from organizing an all out campaign: is it better to encourage a successful company that is at least recognizing the issue of workers' rights to keep trying, in the hopes of the "ripple effect" the example could have on other garment companies (obviously, a lot of organizing and pressure is necessary to get those companies to act on workers' rights, but it'd be great to have an example company to point to), or is it better to urge companies, even the better ones, to be accountable, and to expose deceptions for what they are? As a movement, should anti-sweatshop activists push for all or nothing, or accept the "better than nothing" steps that happen along the way? As an individual consumer, is it better to spend my dollars there than at any other store?
I think that my preference would be to hold AA to the fire. To encourage them to continue using the sweatshop free label, but to be accountable so that the label means something. It's a win-win situation: they can use unions as a big marketing plus (although maybe with their new marketing direction, it's not in the cards...), anti-sweatshop activists have a poster child, and the workers get the benefits of a union along with the much touted AA conditions that already exist (which are not quite as great as they'd like you to think, I'm sure).
So,what am I going to do when AA comes? Boycott? Write an article? Organize? Shop? I'll keep you posted...
posted by Brynne at 11:43 AM
2 Comments:
ummm well what about the fact that all of their clothes are boring? i mean, whatever happened to the idea of elaboration? you're never gonna find one of your cute summer skirts (like the ocean scene one) at AA, and that sux. :(
-jdo-dp
yeah, true. they need to curb their addiction with solid colors. they have some cute styles, though!
it's all about measuring your relative impact on the world, i guess. ilana used to argue that if you're being a consumer at all, you're still part of the problem, which I understand in some abstract level, but I really, really like clothes. Is it better to pay a fortune of your hard earned money to go towards handmade goods or whatever? Is it better to buy organic vegetables if they're shipped in from ca, which use all of that gas to transport them (and are often shipped covered in gross chemicals anyway...). heck if i know.
Post a Comment
<< Home