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| <back | home Living Wages, No Sweat Shops and Unions in Indonesia? by Justin Popov It’s happening; we can sip coffee and snack on chocolate knowing that the people who produced it received a living wage, thanks to the fair trade movement. We can enjoy organic produce knowing that we are doing a favor for ourselves and the environment. But what are we wearing? The garment industry has long been notorious for horrifying factory conditions both in the United States and abroad. No Sweat Apparel, a small clothing company out of Massachusetts, is working to change that. The company is the brainchild of a roofer by trade, Adam Neiman. He and his wife refinanced their home to cover the startup cost. It is now headed by a small group of activists, including Jeff Ballinger, who was among the first to shed light on Nike’s labor practices in a 1992 article in Harpers Magazine. The idea is to use union shops throughout the world to produce a complete line of clothing for the compassionate consumer, and it is catching on. “We’re growing by leaps and bounds. 750 percent last year, and we think it will be that much more this year. The future? Anything is possible, but the odds are growing that No Sweat is going to hit the garment industry like a tsunami,” said Neiman. No Sweat acknowledges the many environmental practices in the garment industry that need to be changed, but they insist that stopping human exploitation must be the first focus. “The exploitation of humans and the environment are closely related phenomena. When humans feel exploited, they don’t think twice about the environment. They can’t. Their first concern is feeding their families tomorrow. That’s why we focus first on exploitation of humans,” said Neiman. “As we grow and have more control over our supply chain, we will be able to weave a solution to these twin problems together. Nothing will happen unless people make it happen. But people need a little economic security for themselves and their families before they can take the long-term view about environmental exploitation.” Essentially, No Sweat Apparel took the existing business model of many huge corporations; outsource all production. Only, they made a few major changes; first, they would only use union labor and pay a living wage, then they would maintain a level of transparency that has perhaps never been seen in the garment industry, and they openly challenge the big players in the industry to do the same. For starters, inside each shoe box you’ll find a surprise — no, not some Cracker Jack toy; you’ll find a “comprehensive labor content disclosure form” which shows the wages and benefits received by the workers who produced your shoes. The shoes, “Chuck Taylor” look-alikes, are made in Indonesia by workers represented by the Confederation of Indonesian Employees Unions, Textile, Clothing & Leather (SPSI). These workers receive a 20 percent higher wage than the regional minimum wage, along with a rice allowance, health care, maternity leave and other paid time off, as well as paid holidays and a pension for retiring workers. Most of the other products in their clothing line are made in union shops in the United States and Canada. Among these are denim jeans made in Chicago, an assortment of sportswear produced in a UNITE shop in Bangor, PA, and stylish casual wear made just north of the border in Canada. Surprisingly, the clothing and footwear is available at prices similar to those of general commercially-available products. The secret: No Sweat Apparel does not pay the huge price of traditional mass media advertising, which can represent about one-third the cost. Instead, the brand relies on word of mouth and media coverage. “We couldn’t offer a living wage and a competitive product if we had to pay for advertising. It’s precisely by combining those two things that we are unique, with a chance of actually changing the garment industry,” said Neiman. “We didn’t just want to develop a niche market for well-heeled guilt-ridden consumers in the Northern Hemisphere. This is about solidarity, not guilt. By sticking to word-of-mouth advertising, we’re empowering consumers as well as our workers. We’re creating a following of activist consumers. Passivity is the problem.” There is a growing list of retail outlets that carry No Sweat products, but for residents of the Central Coast the most convenient way to purchase the clothing is online at www.nosweatapparel.com. If you would like to help out HopeDance you can go to the main page of this website and click on the No Sweat link in the lower right side of the page. HopeDance will receive seven percent of your purchase through the No Sweat “Participation Program.” Justin Popov is an intern for HopeDance and can be reached at jpopov17@hotmail.com <back | top^ |