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Boycott Forever 21
separatewings
post Sep 14 2005, 11:52 PM
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QUOTE
Boycott Forever 21!

Sweatshop Watch





[Update, March 2004: Agreement Reached with Forever 21 - Forever 21, Inc., the Garment Worker Center, Sweatshop Watch, and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, on behalf of several Los Angeles garment workers represented by it, have reached an agreement to resolve all litigation between them. In addition, the parties have agreed to take steps to promote greater worker protection in the local garment industry. The parties are pleased to announce the resolution of this matter as a positive and symbolic step forward in demonstrating respect and appreciation for garment workers. Under the parties' agreement, the national boycott of Forever 21 and related protests at the Company's retail stores, initiated by the Garment Worker Center in 2001, have ended. The parties share a belief that garment workers should labor in lawful conditions and should be treated fairly and with dignity. Forever 21, the Garment Worker Center and Sweatshop Watch all remain committed to ensuring that the clothing Forever 21 sells in its stores is made under lawful conditions.]



November 2001:
In Los Angeles, workers from six factories who sewed for the popular women's clothing line Forever 21 are calling for an official boycott. The workers are owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in minimum wage and overtime pay. They worked long hours in unsafe and unsanitary conditions. And, some of the workers were fired for speaking out about the poor conditions.

"We worked ten to twelve hours a day for subminimum wages and no overtime," said Esperanza Hernandez, one of the garment workers. "A lot of our factories were dirty and unsafe, with rats and cockroaches running around."

"At first they promised that I would be paid $300 to $350 per week," said Araceli Castro, who also sewed Forever 21. "But when I went to pick up my first paycheck, it was only for $250 even though I had put in extra hours in overtime. My boss claimed that she would pay me more when there was more work, but she never did."

The Garment Worker Center helped the 19 workers strategize how they could work as a group to support each other in their cases. Workers decided they should target both the popular clothing retailer and the individual factories to demand their wages. In the garment industry, retailers sit at the top of the industry ladder and subcontract production to manufacturers and sewing contractors (or factories). For too long, this subcontracting system has allowed retailers, like Forever 21, to reap enormous profits off the backs of sweatshop workers who occupy the bottom rung of the ladder. With projected earnings of up to $400 million in 2001, Forever 21 lies at the top of the hierarchy of power in the garment industry and has the greatest ability to ensure the workers' wages and to improve conditions in the factories they do business with.

Workers originally attempted to negotiate directly with the management of Forever 21. However, Forever 21's refusal to negotiate, to offer a just settlement, and to cooperate in the state investigation of the workers' claims prompted workers to step up the pressure and file a lawsuit in September against the label. The Asian Pacific American Legal Center is representing the workers in their legal case. The lawsuit seeks unpaid wages, damages and penalties, as well as assurances from Forever 21 that they do not use sweatshop labor.

The Forever 21 workers announced an official boycott on November 17. Taking advantage of the approaching holiday shopping season, workers will picket every Saturday through the New Year and step up outreach to university students and community groups to build support for their campaign.

Workers are at the forefront of this battle, demanding accountability from retailers and raising awareness among consumers. The workers have recognized the potential they have as a group to demand widespread changes in the garment industry.

What you can do to support the Forever 21 workers:

Don't buy Forever 21 until they pay the workers who sewed their clothes!

Call Forever 21 and demand that they pay the workers their earned wages: 213-747-2121.

Endorse the boycott, participate in actions in Los Angeles or organize actions in your own community. Contact the Garment Worker Center at 888-449-6115, gwc@igc.org, http://www.sweatshopwatch.org/gwc



OMG.. I never knew about Forever 21! And to think their clothes are dirt cheap! Now, I know why!
 
Aoiro
post Sep 14 2005, 11:54 PM
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That's so evil!
But don't other stores do that, too!?
D:
 
*mzkandi*
post Sep 14 2005, 11:56 PM
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but..but...I love Forever 21. However, it is work wrong for the workers to be treated like that.
 
mai_z
post Sep 15 2005, 05:19 PM
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unify and defeat... divide and crumble
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Nike, Walmart, and Eddie Bauer use sweatshops.
 
Gypsy Eyes
post Sep 16 2005, 10:21 PM
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Forever 21 isn't the only clothing chain to use sweatshops. A large majority of larger chains do. It's horrible but it's the way things are.
 
aera
post Sep 17 2005, 10:43 AM
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*scribble scribble*
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i hardly go to forever 21... but a lot of stores have sweatshops. it's just that forever 21's workers decided to speak up.
 
*mishyerr*
post Sep 17 2005, 12:04 PM
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what the eff.

i don't know if i can believe this though... especially with that stupid wetseal rabbit fur crap.

but i never shop there anyway. <3
 
Nicolatofu
post Sep 18 2005, 10:25 AM
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Wow, that's horrible. But sadly, they aren't the only ones. =[

It's a good thing I've never bought anything from there before.
 
SMiLEEFORMEE
post Oct 4 2005, 01:06 PM
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ahhh thats crazy. and no wonder their clothes are cheap oO
 
*AngelicEyz00*
post Oct 5 2005, 03:48 PM
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Well, at least the clothes ARE cheap, haha.
 
racoons > you
post Oct 5 2005, 03:53 PM
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Another ditch in the road... you keep moving
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its NOT agood idea to boycott the store.

if you do, they loose money, and you can bet it iwont be the execs who suffer. it will be the peopl eIN the sweatshops, who you are trying to help. instead, buy from the store, but write letters and hold protests to make them know you are unhappy
 
Im So Vain
post Oct 5 2005, 08:39 PM
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I come from East Oakland where the youngstas get hyphy!
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I cant boycott one of my fave stores, and the sweatshop thing is just about everywhere.
 
pandamonium
post Oct 5 2005, 09:00 PM
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cheeeesy like theres no tomorrow
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QUOTE(Im So Vain @ Oct 5 2005, 8:39 PM)
I cant boycott one of my fave stores, and the sweatshop thing is just about everywhere.
*


you serious. it says its only for one day.

if i had to boycott abercrombie and hollister i would totally do it.
 
eunie03
post Oct 5 2005, 09:02 PM
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And they have John 3:16 on the bottom of their bags... how ironic. Haha.

edit: Ugh, I pulled an Alanis Morissette. It's not really ironic... but I can't find a good word for it.
 
super_grover08
post Oct 6 2005, 07:03 PM
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almost all stores clothes are made in sweatshops
 
yummy_delight
post Oct 6 2005, 07:06 PM
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The article says that the boycott officially ended as of March 2004.

So, now the insensitives who "can't boycott their favorite stores" can take a deep breath of relief and shop there now.
 
miss barnes
post Oct 7 2005, 06:59 PM
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they dont have that store here...but, ive heard of it before. eh..id still shop in there
 
emazing
post Oct 8 2005, 06:17 PM
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What a hypocrite.
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That's just cruel and unjust.
I might as well boycott Forever 21, I don't shop there anywho.
I shop at Pac Sun, Hollister, Hot Topic, etc.
 
Chii
post Oct 8 2005, 09:33 PM
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if you do protest and they stop the sweatshop work, then the clothes won't be as cheap anymore.

i'd rather forever 21 use sweatshop labor than nike. it only costs nike a few dollars to have like an entire store of sneakers, and they have kids buy their sneakers for f*cking 100 dollars a pair.

besides, this was kind of 4 years ago. you don't know if they still use sweatshop labor.
 
lbjshaq2345
post Oct 8 2005, 09:44 PM
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yeah almost all clothing brands use sweatshops except for i know for a fact that champion doesn't
 
Paradox of Life
post Oct 8 2005, 09:48 PM
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It's not like in every single chain location has problems like this and boycotting Forever 21 isn't going to get anywhere. Buying clothing from them would raise more money, so they would have the means to get better working conditions anyway. How absurd..
 
Just_Dream
post Oct 9 2005, 11:10 PM
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QUOTE(yummy_delight @ Oct 6 2005, 4:06 PM)
The article says that the boycott officially ended as of March 2004.

So, now the insensitives who "can't boycott their favorite stores" can take a deep breath of relief and shop there now.
*

^ lol. I bet everyone else missed that. :P


I remember there was the whole Albertsons' strike. I wonder what happened with that.

About the whole Nike shoes made from sweatshops... Most shoes are made from sweatshops anyways. I'm considering buying only from K-Swiss, which are made in America. Well, since all other famous brand shoes are made in Vietnam, China, etc.
 
BeaChBLonDii021
post Oct 11 2005, 10:15 PM
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nikki, yo.
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ohh.. they stopped it.
i see happy.gif
 
ryfitaDF
post Oct 11 2005, 10:32 PM
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QUOTE(Blue-Chan @ Sep 14 2005, 11:54 PM)
That's so evil!
But don't other stores do that, too!?
D:
*


pretty much if somthing is made in any asian country, it's made in a sweatshop. it's also why un-employment is so high. it costs less to have a little asian girl make your shoes than a grown american man.
 
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