[fxrdude]

I keep finding information that makes me sick. I want to know the TRUTH about illegal labor being used for final production of USA made t-shirts, incliding UNION made. I'm realistic, I know it's used in farming, etc.

It sounds like the textile unions actually want illegal labor...I am no expert on any of this, so please help me understand...

I need a brand I can stand behind with my company. My company is 100% pro USA made and very anti-illegal labor.

I would love to support union made (like bayside), but I need to know the truth. I don't want to be another American hypocrite.

I want the TRUTH, does an honest USA made t-shirt company that doesn't hire illegals exist??

PLEASE HELP and thank you

 

[killinaa]

I keep finding information that makes me sick. I want to know the TRUTH about illegal labor being used for final production of USA made t-shirts, incliding UNION made. I'm realistic, I know it's used in farming, etc.

It sounds like the textile unions actually want illegal labor...I am no expert on any of this, so please help me understand...

I need a brand I can stand behind with my company. My company is 100% pro USA made and very anti-illegal labor.

I would love to support union made (like bayside), but I need to know the truth. I don't want to be another American hypocrite.

I want the TRUTH, does an honest USA made t-shirt company that doesn't hire illegals exist??

PLEASE HELP and thank you

This has actually been a hot topic for me this last week. I'll start out with a disclaimer, I'm as American as it gets. I served five years 9 months in the Marine Corps and deployed twice to the AOR for Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Horn of Africa. I love this country and was prepared to give my life for it. For the past five years I've been involved in private label manufacturing, mostly MMA & boxing equipment. I'm the North America rep. for two factories in Pakistan and have some of the biggest brands in MMA. From my experience 50% of manufacturing cost goes to materials and 25% is labor and labor is cheap in any of the major textile producing countries: India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh. In the U.S. we have labor laws--child labor laws (even the countries I mentioned are cracking down on this), minimum wages, etc., therefore, the U.S. can not compete. It would cost more to manufacturer in the U.S. then you could buy a Gildan 500 at wholesale and that's the bottom line. The cost of fabric is the same for us whether we are producing 1,000 t-shirts or 10,000, there's no price breaks on the manufacturing side. The only way we can save cost is on labor. I don't see how a U.S. company can manufacture apparel and be competitive unless you hire cheap labor.

I personally would love to move manufacturing operations to the U.S., but I'm certain we would loose our customers due to price increases. Although, I still haven't totally closed the door on this and still a discussion of interest with my business partner. At the very least we will open up distribution warehouses which will still create jobs, a tax base, import tariffs....All good things for a healthy economy.

 

[fxrdude]

thanks killinaa. I agree there is no way we can compete with cheap foreign labor, not now, not ever.

But somewhere in the US, there has to be a company that makes shirts that doesn't hire illegals (at least I'm hoping). I imagine a blank would cost at least $5-10, maybe more. I'm willing to pay it if that's what it takes to know that a product I created demand for provided an American citizen with a decent living wage.

If I can't find such a product then that sucks, as I was hoping to have t's be my money maker. Maybe I'll have to start with custom leather or something, I don't know.

I found this much out this morning: American Apparel can kiss my a**. From the sounds of it if that guy had his way every worker in his factories would be an illegal immigrant.