These are seven women who decided to fight the sweatshop conditions they had been enduring for many years. These women produced designer clothing for DKNY in midtown Manhattan, New York. They worked 10 hours a day 6 days a week with only one 40-minute break allowed during the workday. They weren't allowed to use the bathroom unless they had finished their quotas. They weren't allowed to look up or speak to each other. Throughout the day, the factory's supervisors shouted demands that they work faster. And even in the case of family medical emergencies, they couldn't make or receive phone calls.
In
this factory, workers received no paid vacation or sick days, and women were
unable to take maternity leave without jeopardizing their jobs. Latinas were
paid less than the Chinese workers for performing the same tasks in order to pit
the two groups against each other.
When one of them decided to speak out against these abusive conditions, they found themselves jobless. Together with the Ain't I a Woman?! Campaign, these women have launched a national boycott that is bringing together working women from all backgrounds and professions and demanding that Donna Karan take responsibility for these conditions, pay uncompensated overtime wages, reinstate them and assure that 75% of her clothing be in our communities. It has been more than one year since they issued these demands, and Ms. Karan and DKNY continue to plead ignorance and deny responsibility. aintiawoman.org