A recently formed governmental task force is lobbying for the creation of new programs designed to empower garment workers in Downtown, Los Angeles’ famed Fashion District—but it could face legislative hurdles in the week ahead.
The Garment and Fashion Industry Workforce and Economic Development Program, spearheaded by city Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez (CD 1) and worker advocacy group the Garment Worker Center (GWC), aims to boost resources for the city’s textile and apparel sector, which employs some 30,000 workers and produces more than 80 percent of the clothing made in the U.S.
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Hernandez, whose jurisdiction encompasses the Fashion District, put forth her proposal for a task force during the formation of the Downtown L.A. 2040 Plan (DTLA 2040) last year. Made up of the Responsible Apparel Industry Collective, along with other L.A. County representatives and Councilmembers, the Economic & Workforce Development Department (EWDD) and members of the industry, the stakeholders have been convening for the past six months to develop the framework for programs it deems essential to safeguarding garment work in Downtown, L.A.
The task force has developed three recommendations that it hopes to see ratified as a part of Mayor Bass’ proposed $12.8 billion fiscal 2024-2025 budget, which will be debated in City Hall this week.
“The first one is to have a position at EWDD that would be focused on helping small businesses find space to rent for their factories that meets their needs, while making that connection back to the property owners who have vacant spaces and can’t find tenants,” GWC campaign director Daisy Gonzalez told Sourcing Journal. The group said it has heard from property owners in the district that they don’t have the capacity or funding to advertise their vacancies widely.
The second recommendation centers on establishing a role at EWDD focused specifically on workforce development for the fashion sector. Gonzalez said GWC has heard from garment workers who desire more upskilling and training in the new technologies that are fast hitting the apparel production sector.
Meanwhile, the third recommendation supports the creation of “pop-ups” in the garment-producing areas of Downtown, L.A. that offer resources to workers related to education and training and connections to open jobs. These venues, created and staffed by EWDD, would also support the area’s garment businesses with administrative services, from help registering their businesses to applying for small business support.
“These are just three recommendations, but we believe they would be huge and powerful in supporting the industry in L.A.,” Gonzalez said.
The road to approval may not be without speed bumps, however. In late April, the task force learned that the mayor’s budgetary proposal included the elimination of eight positions at EWDD, which was tasked with much of the heavy lifting in the group’s plan. “That was a major red flag,” the GWC director added.
Last Thursday, at a meeting of the City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee, Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield (CD 3), Marqueece Harris-Dawson (CD 8), Monica Rodriguez (CD 7), Katy Yaroslavsky (CD 5), and Time McOsker (CD 15) voted to maintain multiple positions that were on the chopping block at EWDD—including two that would serve the Garment and Fashion Industry Workforce and Economic Development Program.
But the sticking power of that decision—which will determine the fate of the program—remains to be seen. City Council will review the full budgetary plan on Wednesday and Thursday.
“We’re really grateful for the budget committee prioritizing these positions at EWDD, which would support the garment industry as well so many other economic development priorities for the city,” Gonzalez said.
She applauded Councilmember Hernandez for her work championing the effort. “The Garment and Fashion Industry Program will support businesses and workers in different areas of the city, not just Downtown L.A., or District 1.”
Guadalupe Tlatenchi, the founder of GTLA Apparel Development, a full service garment manufacturer located in South Central L.A., said she too was “grateful for this step forward.”
“Now is the time to receive support from the full city council in order to build a stronger Los Angeles,” she added. “The fashion industry has always been forgotten and it’s probably one of the reasons why many businesses lack the knowledge to build a responsible manufacturing company,” especially during an economic downturn.
“Small businesses like ours create the ecosystems in our communities and keep building local opportunities,” Tlatenchi said. “Which is why we need the resources to grow, get informed, and do things responsibly.”
