Behind the Label : Inequality in the Los Angeles Apparel Industry

414 Pages·2000·3.54 MB·English

by  Edna Bonacich

Bonacich, Behind the Label 2/14/00 5:42 AM Page i
Behind the Label
Bonacich, Behind the Label 2/14/00 5:42 AM Page ii
Bonacich, Behind the Label 2/14/00 5:42 AM Page iii
Behind the Label
Inequality in the
Los Angeles Apparel Industry
Edna Bonacich and
Richard P. Appelbaum
with
Ku-Sup Chin
Melanie Myers
Gregory Scott
Goetz Wolff
UNIVERSITYOF CALIFORNIAPRESS
Berkeley/Los Angeles/London
Bonacich, Behind the Label 2/14/00 5:42 AM Page iv
University ofCalifornia Press
Berkeley and Los Angeles, California
University ofCalifornia Press, Ltd.
London, England
© 2000 by
The Regents ofthe University ofCalifornia
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bonacich, Edna.
Behind the label : inequality in the Los Angeles apparel
industry / Edna Bonacich, Richard P. Appelbaum.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-520-21769-1 (cloth : alk. paper)—ISBN0-520-22506-6
(pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Clothing trade—California—Los Angeles. 2. Clothing
workers—California—Los Angeles. 3. Sweatshops—California—
Los Angeles. I. Appelbaum, Richard P. II. Title.
HD9940.U5 L712 2000
331.7'887'00979494—dc21 99–088415
Manufactured in the United States ofAmerica
08—07—06—05—04—03—02—01—00
10—9—8—7—6—5—4—3—2—1
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements
ofANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (R1997) (Permanence of Paper)
Bonacich, Behind the Label 2/14/00 5:42 AM Page v
To the garment manufacturers and other
powerful players connected with the apparel
industry in Los Angeles, in the hope that
they will see the need for social change.To
the garment contractors, who occupy the
uncomfortable middle in a highly charged
situation, in the hope that they will (cid:222)nd
common cause with the workers. And to
the garment workers ofLos Angeles, in the
hope that this book will help them empower
themselves.
Bonacich, Behind the Label 2/14/00 5:42 AM Page vi
Bonacich, Behind the Label 2/14/00 5:42 AM Page vii
Contents
list of figures and tables ix
preface xi
acknowledgments xvii
Introduction:
The Return of the Sweatshop 1
part i: capital
Chapter 1.
Manufacturers 27
Chapter 2.
Offshore Production (with Melanie Myers) 53
Chapter 3.
Retailers 80
Chapter 4.
The Power Elite 104
part ii: labor
Chapter 5.
Contractors (with Ku-Sup Chin) 135
Bonacich, Behind the Label 2/14/00 5:42 AM Page viii
viii CONTENTS
Chapter 6.
Workers (with Gregory Scott) 164
Chapter 7.
The Distribution of Wealth 200
part iii: fighting back
Chapter 8.
Government Enforcement and Retention Efforts
(with Goetz Wolff) 221
Chapter 9.
Worker Empowerment 262
Chapter 10.
The Antisweatshop Movement 295
afterword: the larger questions 317
notes 321
bibliographic note 361
index 367
Bonacich, Behind the Label 2/14/00 5:42 AM Page ix
Figures and Tables
Figures
1. The Distribution of the Proceeds of a $100 Dress 2
2. Apparel Imports to the United States, 1962–1997 10
3. The Reemergence of Sweatshops in the United States Apparel
Industry 15
4. Relative Growth in Apparel Employment, 1979–1997 17
5. Highest Levels of Apparel Employment 18
6. The Fashion District, Los Angeles 38
7. Accumulation of Wealth from 10,000 Dresses 207
8. ATwo-Path Scenario for the Southern California Apparel
Industry 253
Tables
1. Annual Sales of Larger Apparel Manufacturers 44
2. Largest United States Retailers Compared with Largest
Department-Store Holding Companies 88
3. New Fashion Industry Roundtable, 1995 111
4. Ethnic Background of Contractors 145
5. Geographic Distribution of Contractors 146
6. Occupation by Ethnicity in the Apparel Industry 169
7. The Price of a Pair of Shoes 205
8. Apparel Manufacturers, by Sales Volume, 1996–1997 214
9. Executives’ Salaries, by Title, 1996 216
ix
Bonacich, Behind the Label 2/14/00 5:42 AM Page x