Although salaries are low by international standards, apparel workers tend to make more money than they would in other activities -- low-skill agriculture and services -- in the domestic market.
While transnational corporations often move factories when individual countries impose labor standards, university apparel producers cannot evade these rules by shifting production locations because the university will revoke licensing rights to those who do not follow the labor guidelines.
Under the bill, the city comptroller would develop wage standards for overseas apparel manufacturers.
This went beyond Charney's behavior, and implicated the ethical standards of American Apparel and its board of directors.
Jeans are particularly identified as a standard item of "Western" apparel worn by the American cowboy.
"Where we stand out," he said, "is by reclaiming the union label as the ultimate standard for sweatshop-free apparel".
Levi Strauss, which is expected to announce this news later today, says it hopes the standard will help other apparel brands and retailers increase their use of recycled water and reduce industry effluent.
And there are now serious moves to impose stricter safety and working conditions standards in third-world apparel producers.
A variety of groups are working on new apparel industry labor standards.
Baseball caps remain the standard-bearer of the sports apparel market, and New Era, like its competitors, is trying to adapt to changing tastes and tightening purse strings.
