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Newsom signed the Senate Bill 62, also called the Garment Worker
Protection Act, and will pave way for garment workers in the
state to get a minimum wage of $14 per hour for employers with
26 or more employees.
"California is holding corporations accountable and recognizing
the dignity and humanity of our workers, who have helped build
the fifth-largest economy in the world," Newsom said in a
statement.
"These measures protect marginalized low-wage workers, many of
whom are women of color and immigrants, ensuring they are paid
what they are due and improving workplace conditions. We are
committed to having their backs as we work to build a stronger,
more inclusive economy," he added.
Industry trade group American Apparel and Footwear Association
said earlier the legislation would drive garment manufacturing
out of California and lead to the loss of jobs.
Los Angeles has the highest concentration of garment industry
workers in the United States with some 2,000 manufacturers
employing more than 40,000 workers, according to workers rights
organization the Garment Worker Center.
Many small factories often operate without proper registration
or enforcement which contributes to exploitation in the
industry, it said.
About 85% of garment workers do not earn the minimum wage and
are instead paid a piece rate of between 2-6 cents per piece.
Most garment workers work 60-70 hour weeks with take home pay of
about $300, according to the work rights group.
The organisation welcomed the signing of the bill by Newsom.
(Reporting by Aakriti Bhalla and Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru;
Editing by Lincoln Feast)
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