Villaraigosa on American Apparel
The largest garment factory in the US – Photo by kodachrome kid
American Apparel is celebrating the milestone of 10,000 worldwide employees, half of whom work in the facility at 7th and Alameda — the largest garment factory in the US.
Since the beginning of the year, the company has hired approximately 3,500 employees worldwide, including over 2,500 manufacturing employees at its “sweatshop free” production facilities in Southern California. American Apparel now manufactures approximately 275,000 garments per day.
Mayor Villaraigosa praises:
Over the past number of years, American Apparel has played an important role in the revitalization of downtown Los Angeles and has created thousands of jobs in the process. With the jobs that American Apparel has created so far this year, we are well on our way towards meeting my goal of creating 100,000 living wage jobs in Los Angeles by 2010.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, as of 2007, the average American Apparel manufacturing employee earned $12 per hour — “$80-120 dollars per day, or roughly $500 per week compared to the $30-40 made daily at most other Los Angeles-based garment factories.”
Note to self: Buy more AA, less Gap.
