Garment Maker Database Aimed Against Sweatshops

Calling it a high-tech weapon against underground sweatshops, California labor officials have established a database of sewing contractors on the Internet.

The move allows businesses to verify online whether a garment contractor is registered to operate, potentially a significant tool for garment manufacturers because they can be held jointly liable for wage violations committed by their contractors.

Many apparel makers routinely ask their contractors for registration papers. But even conscientious manufacturers are sometimes burned by faked licenses or by contractors who subcontract work to illegitimate shops.

Moreover, in the past manufacturers who tried to verify a contractor’s license with the state often had a long wait or had to pay for a list of registration data in constant flux.

The database is “a smart move,” said Randy Youngblood, president of Apparel Resources, an industry consultant in Yorba Linda. Youngblood himself has been paying $60 every two months to the state to obtain the latest data on contractor registrations.

The state’s online database contains information on about 4,000 contractors. Searches can be made by name, address, city or registration number. The data is located in the Department of Industrial Relations home page at https://www.dir.ca.gov.

Don Lee covers workplace issues for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-7407 and at don.lee@latimes.com.