On the afternoon of October 21st, at Manhattan's Garment District, nearly a thousand garment workers gathered to urge the city government to help save the ever-disappearing garment industry in New York City. Hundreds of Chinese garment workers joined the protest as well. According to participants, the manufacturing and garment industries have been outsourced. Furthermore, the lax enforcement of the city's zoning laws has led to the shrinking of the garment district in New York. These two factors have detrimentally affected the garment industry.
The garment district – between Ninth Avenue and East Broadway and from 34th to 40th Street – is the location for many garment factories, sample retail stores, accessories stores, and designer studios. In addition, every spring and fall, Fashion Week takes place in New York City, making it the fashion capital of the world. However, as more manufacturing jobs move overseas, where the cost of labor is cheaper, the garment industry is struggling. Also, more and more real estate development is encroaching onto the garment district, with the construction of new luxury apartments and commercial buildings.
Close to 1,000 garment workers wore black T-shirts, held up black protest signs, and pled for the garment industry's survival. A garment factory employer spoke to the crowd about his father-in-law, who opened a garment factory when he arrived in the United States in 1952. At that time, the factory only had two workers. With time, the factory was passed on to him and today it employs about 100 workers, who all have a retirement fund, medical insurance, and other benefits. "The factory is like a family," he said. He expressed his hope to pass the factory on to his children but feared it would be difficult to achieve. In the 1980s, he had about 400 competitors in the area but now, his factory "is the only one still around." He criticized that the city government did not protect garment workers as the district and the audience chanted, "Save the garment factories."
Yeohlee Teng, an Asian-American designer, joined the protest with other clothing designers. Nanette Lepore, founder of the fashion brand Lepore, who 20 years ago paid $5,000 to learn about fashion design in New York, currently has 130 employees in her factory. The garment district is not only a place of work for her, but a place where she grew up. "If the government does not protect the garment district, even the fashion designers won't be able to survive," she said.
Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, and mayoral candidate Bill C. Thompson were also present. To a cheering audience, Thompson promised that if he is elected, he will carve out a big space for nonprofit organizations for the benefit of garment districts and small fashion houses.
A high percentage of the 1,000 garment workers who marched were Chinese, whose average weekly wage is about $700. One of the participants, Ms. Ong, who has been in the United States for more than 10 years, says her garment job is the most satisfying employment she has had. She is treated well by her employer and works well with workers from other countries. She wants to continue to work. Another marcher, Ms. Wong, who has been working for Jones New York for about 22 years, said that she is worried that her job will be outsourced, just like other jobs in the industry.
