Factory Enshrines Workers' Rights

[JBeukema]

Taking over a factory that had moved to a cheaper location, Knights Apparel chose to work with the Worker Rights Consortium, a monitoring agency funded by participating universities. Together, they designed a model to ensure that clothing produced there be certified as "not produced under sweatshop conditions".

Rather than take local sources for guidance, the WRC did its own exacting study on what constituted a living wage in the Dominican Republic. The study found that a living wage for a family was 497 dollars a month or 2.93 dollars an hour, whereas the allowable minimum wage in the Free Trade Zones is just 147.95 dollars per month (84 cents per hour).

Knights Apparel agreed to meet this standard. As a result, the company has garnered free publicity and ongoing marketing support from activist groups around the world. Alta Gracia garments include a tag with a picture of one of the workers, attesting to the fair wages and good working conditions.

Alta Gracia-made logo clothing is now available at over 350 university campuses. While more expensive than generic brands, it is less expensive than some competitors such as Reebok and Nike.

Source

​