Police Uniforms Are Seized in Garment Factory Raid

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/30/nyregion/30sweatshop.html

By A. G. SULZBERGER
Published: April 29, 2009

When state labor investigators raided a clothing manufacturer near the Flatiron Building on Tuesday night, they were surprised by what they found.

Dangling on hangers, ready for delivery, were rows of dress uniforms — complete with the familiar insignia, the gold buttons, the deep blue fabric — intended for use for formal occasions by New York City police officers.

Those uniforms, and others destined for hospitals, hotels and a local university, were among roughly 400 pieces of clothing seized by the State Department of Labor, along with the equipment used to produce the clothing. It was the first use, officials said, of a 2006 law that allows the state to seize goods and equipment from garment manufacturers charged with multiple violations of labor standards.

The uniforms were confiscated from a factory at 45 East 20th Street run by the Forest Uniform Corporation. A contractor the company works with, Technical Garment USA, at 251 West 39th Street, is also accused of violating labor laws.

The department said it would release the goods if the companies paid $500,000 in back wages and damages to 16 current and former workers, though an alternative legal settlement might be negotiated.

The state labor commissioner, M. Patricia Smith, said the raid signaled a more aggressive approach to companies that violate minimum-wage and overtime rules, particularly in an industry known for widespread abuses. She compared repeat offenders to children.

FULL story at link.

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