US Congresswoman Carolyn B Maloney last week introduced the Fashioning Accountability and Building Real Institutional Change (FABRIC) Act of 2022. The bill addresses apparel manufacturing industry issues like the exploitation of essential workers, offshoring and an aging workforce. The Act will establish a nationwide garment industry registry to raise oversight and transparency. A companion bill was introduced in the Senate in May.
The FABRIC Act of 2022 will establish a nationwide garment industry registry in the Department of Labor to increase oversight and transparency within the industry, set an hourly pay in the garment industry, and eliminate piece rate pay in workplaces in which workers are not already paid a minimum wage or are covered by a union collective bargaining agreement. Additionally, the bill would create a $40 million Domestic Garment Manufacturing Support Program and establish a 30% reshoring tax credit for garment manufacturers that move their manufacturing operations to the United States.
