Justice for Wins Garment Workers!

By Nikki Bas and Gordon Mar
5/1/02

In San Francisco, over 200 garment workers, mostly monolingual Chinese immigrant women, have stepped up their campaign for economic justice. The immigrant workers have become increasingly militant and outspoken, and through a series of direct action rallies and delegations, they have been demanding to be paid the more than $1.2 million in back wages owed to them. As Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is celebrated in May, the struggle of the Wins garment workers serves as a vivid current example of our communities' rich history of immigrant labor organizing.

The garment workers were employed by three related factories in San Francisco--Wins of California, Win Fashion and Win Industries of America, all owned by notorious sweatshop profiteers Anna Wong and her husband Toha "Jimmy" Quan. In the Spring and Summer of 2001,the workers labored for months without pay. In July, Win Fashion closed it doors filing for bankruptcy and laying off all its workers. In August 2001, the State Labor Commissioner shut down the other two factories for operating illegally, without a license. Also in August 2001, the largest factory Wins of California declared bankruptcy.

The workers have not seen a penny from their work at the Wins factories since March and April of 2001. The factory owners are evading responsibility. The government is dragging their feet in their investigations. And the manufacturers and retailers are turning a blind eye to the workers plight.

Justice for Wins Workers 2 - Pay the Workers or Pay GE