Garment Factory Owes Immigrant Workers $850G

By Michael Liu
8/17/01

Wins of California Inc., one of San Francisco's largest garment factories, owes its 200 immigrant employees at least $850,000 for months of unpaid work. Furthermore, it has been operating illegally under California State law since March. Although the factory has filled clothing orders for the U.S. Army and Air Force, Sears, Wal-Mart and Kmart, Wins has not paid its workers since April.

It appears that the factory's owners, Jimmy Quan and his wife, Anna Wong, are diverting funds to another corporation owned by them, Tomi, Inc. Tomi, Inc. is based in Utah and recently received a $1.2 million payment for finished garments. Quan and Wong have a complex of corporations. They also own Win Fashion, and Win Industries of America, which they have closed. Wins of Calfornia filed for bankruptcy protection last week. Closing businesses under investigation is a common tactic among garment businesses in violation of labor laws or othe pressures.

The Asian Law Caucus is working with Wins employees and confirmed that workers have not been paid since April. Hina Shah said, "They are extremely afraid of stepping forward," Shah said.

Win's three-story factory is in the South of Market area of the city, one of 250 or so garment shops in San Francsico.

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