American Sweatshop Labor Clothes the Military: American Power Source
 Queen Phinizee, a 39 year old woman, has worked as a sewing machine operator for 21 years and had made a good living, until she started working at American Power Source a year and a half ago. Now Queen struggles just to make ends meet. She has lost her home she bought five years ago. She has had to rely on a charitable organization to buy her medicine and pay her medical bills. Despite her hard work and long hours, Queen is losing everything.
A report [A Disgrace to the Uniform: Sweatshop Conditions at American Power Source] recently published by UNITE HERE, the labor union of apparel, textile, and hospitality workers, details the abuses suffered by workers like Queen at American Power Source, including wage cuts and increased production, shorted paychecks, excessive overtime, unsafe working conditions with accidents being ignored, and workers reporting a regular pattern of harassment and general disrespect by management.
This isn't a report about a sweatshop in Mexico, Bangladesh, or China; this is happening in Columbus, Mississippi. And this isn't a story about workers making clothes for Wal-Mart or Nike; these workers are working for American Power Source, an apparel manufacturer that receives millions of dollars in contracts to make military uniforms for the U.S. government and its armed forces.
American Power Source, also known as American Players, is a private company owned by Roxanne Ferreiro and headquartered in Fall River, MA. Started in 1994, Roxanne began using her status as a small and minority owned business to win lucrative military uniform contracts. Since 2002, the U.S. government has paid American Power Source over $32 million for military uniforms, including physical fitness uniforms, combat uniforms, and cold weather coats. In February 2005, American Power Source was awarded a 5 year $10.8 million contract for a portion of the newly-designed Army combat uniform.
Although American Power Source is paid millions of dollars by the U.S. government, workers at the company barely make enough to support their families. "I worked 63 hours last week," said Lois McMillan, a sewing operator at American Power Source, "and made only $397. I am a single mother of four children and their sole provider. Luckily, I have someone helping me out right now, without his help I wouldn't be able to get by."
Queen reported that she usually works 56 hours a week sewing 1,600 garments a day. Queen and her co-workers are barely paid above minimum wage, yet their employer has cut their wages twice and increased their workload. Queen and her co-workers often have to work long hours, some up to 18 hours a day, with little or no notice from management. When workers are hurt or sick, they often have no choice but to keep working or risk losing their jobs. Management reprimands them for laughing or going to the bathroom, and they are constantly threatened with the loss of their jobs.
The 200 mostly African-American employees at American Power Source in Columbus, MS, are proud to be making uniforms for the U.S. military and thereby supporting soldiers in combat. But pride isn't enough to endure the abuse and struggle they go through everyday.
"They don't treat us right or pay us fairly for this work," said one American Power Source worker who wanted to remain anonymous. "I love my work and the job I do, but they don't pay me anything to be able to live off of. I went to Walter Reed Hospital in D.C. and I saw the soldiers there and it made me proud to be making their uniforms - to be doing something good for them - but like they're fighting for us I'm out their fighting for money to survive."
American Power Source, and ultimately the U.S. government as the company's sole customer, are responsible for the wretched conditions that currently exist. Please do your part and urge important decision makers in the U.S. Congressional Committees on Armed Services and Department of Defense to investigate the company and ensure no future contracts are awarded to the company until its workers' issues are addressed and conditions improved.
To learn more about sweatshops and the military uniform industry visit: www.militaryuniformwatch.info
Read other INFOCUS stories.
|
Main story 
