State Senate Bill Seeks To End Garment-Industry Standard of Piece-Rate Pay
By Andrew Asch | Friday, June 26, 2020
On June 25, SB 1399, the Garment Worker Protection Act passed the California Senate in a 25–11 vote. The bill will seek to guarantee a minimum wage for garment workers and end the industry standard of the piece-rate system, by which workers are paid by how many garments they produce during a shift. The bill is still in the legislative process. It is scheduled to be submitted to the state assembly in July.
State Sen. María Elena Durazo (D-Calif,) authored the bill. She represents the 24th State Senate district, which represents East Los Angeles, parts of downtown Los Angeles and neighborhoods surrounding downtown. Durazo said that the bill addresses longstanding grievances for garment workers.
“I am grateful to my Senate colleagues for approving the Garment Worker Protection Act of 2020,” Durazo said. “It is time that we demand better working conditions for women and just hourly pay for garment workers, who, when paid by the piece, earn on average $5.15 per hour.”
The bill also closes what Durazo has criticized as a legal loophole. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE