Hey Change Podcast

E73 - Do you know who made your clothes? Behind the scenes with the Garment Worker Center

May 18, 2021

48:17

In today’s episode, we speak with two advocates for garment worker rights, Yeni and Nayantara, about what it’s like to be a garment worker in America today. Yeni Dewi has worked in the garment industry in Los Angeles and in Indonesia for over a decade. She is a leader at the Garment Worker Center, fighting for dignity and fair wages for all garment workers, as well as a CAST LA member advocating against human trafficking.

Nayantara Banerjee is a former small business owner with over a decade of experience in tailoring & alterations. She has an undergraduate degree in Fashion Design from Syracuse University and has pursued graduate studies researching Labor & Responsibility in the Apparel Industry at New York University. After several years of volunteering with Los Angeles' Garment Worker Center, including leading creative sewing and pattern-making classes for its members, Nayantara now serves full-time in Industry Research & Strategic Partnerships for GWC.

In this episode:

Learn about Yeni's personal experience as a garment worker in the US
Why "Made in America" isn't necessarily a good thing
The important work of the Garment Worker Center
How Senate Bill 62 could change the apparel industry in the US for good
Why Yeni and Nayantara are hopeful about the future
And lots more...

This conversation really opened our eyes to how we view the clothing we wear every day and we hope it makes you think differently about your clothes too!

Learn more about the Garment Worker Center:

Website: https://garmentworkercenter.org/

Instagram: @garmentworkercenter

Support SB62: Petition

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Anne Therese:

Website: https://theclimateoptimist.com/

Instagram: @annetheresegennari

LinkedIn: Anne Therese Gennari