Question for everyone, it’s 2024 and consistently I see jobs in other industries pay better and offer better employee benefits like apple, google & meta.
would it be beneficial to create a petition for how low the pay consistently is low and the entire job employee compensation packages are low, from garment workers, technical designers…
We need something for our industry, even a union, because we are not protected. As a designer and graphic artist for apparel, I am making LESS than I did before the pandemic. I actually made more $$$ during the pandemic. But the salaries have stalled and anytime my team and I have asked for a meeting for pay raises we have been told that there won’t be any for anyone for at least another year or two, if at all. And if we are not happy with our pay at this company we are welcome to leave and find another. They also claim they gave the right to ask us to work after hours and up to 60+ hours because we are on salary. And the day is fine when the work is done. A couple colleagues went to the CA labor board but their complaints went nowhere.
So even those of us who are not sewers, pattern makers, etc., but work in the creative dept, we need protections. I have not seen it (the pay scale) since the 2000s.
Have been trying to find a new job for months, and just slamming my head into a wall as I can’t get headway with these companies. They want to hire cheaper, less experienced candidates, who come and go after a few months and then the jobs are listed again after a few months. But they never seem to come back to us with the experience. Very disheartening.
Agree. It’s truly disheartening to see brands that market themselves as luxury this high end that and provide the worst working atmosphere and experiences I am interested in creating something just need people to also show interest but I don’t think this forum is expanded to the masses that just the few that do engage here once a month
I like the idea of organizing something but a petition probably isn’t the best to get companies to increase their salaries. I can only imagine that some employers would “weaponize” the signatures and hold biases against those who signed it.
We need an Association; a non-profit that works as an advocate for fashion industry professionals. Salary reports from a non-biased and trusted source would go a long way to bring-up salaries in the industry.
We could unionize again.
I was also reminded about the conde naste event pay up that the employees did and joined against Anna wintour
Apparel fashion nyc needs a movement to happen but many are afraid to speak up unfortunately