ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : From Riches to Rags

The garment industry in this country long has been rife with abuses, including underpaying workers and ignoring safety in sweatshops. Even when manufacturers meet all laws, sewing clothes is tedious work at low pay.

This week the state’s deputy labor commissioner, Jose Millan, said a large Santa Ana apparel maker, Clothes Connection, was in effect requiring many of its minimum-wage employees to pay the company in order to keep their jobs.

State law requires that most employers, including garment makers, provide tools and supplies needed by workers at no charge. But Millan said Clothes Connection was forcing 300 to 500 of its workers in the sewing department, who earn $4.25 an hour, to pay more than $100 just about every month to use its bobbins, needles and scissors.

A company attorney acknowledged that many workers were charged for tools but contended it was necessary to combat theft. But there are clearly better ways to guard against theft, including forcing workers to replace tools they do not return. The attorney also disputed state claims that the company was short-changing workers on overtime pay.

Millan said Clothes Connection was likely to be fined “several hundred thousand dollars” for the alleged overtime violations and charging for the tools. Such a large fine is rarely levied and, if warranted by the facts, would send a message to all manufacturers in the industry that they must follow the rules.

Los Angeles’ garment industry is second only to New York’s in this country. In recent years many Los Angeles manufacturers have opened shops in Orange County. Practices such as the one alleged at Clothes Connection demonstrate again that state and federal workers have to be especially vigilant in policing this industry.