Everlane unionization

annagybe

So apparently their radical transparency doesn’t apply to the entire corporation.
I never ordered from Everlane, for more than one reason, but definitely not going to anytime soon
https://www.vice.com/en_us/art.....unionizing

4 years ago

General

14 replies

Latest reply was from Jaime

Anonymous

It reminds me of how Amazon does business actually-as far as the strikes and hiring a lot of temp (not just during holiday season).

4 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Oh, dear. That's too bad

4 years ago

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

suntiger, Amazon is definitely problematic, but they don’t tout themselves as an ethical company

4 years ago

catherine

Veteran

Big fan of organized labor here, having spent most of my career in progressive Minnesota. Living and working in a “right to work” (right to be underpaid) state now is an eye-opener, and not in a good way.
It is unfortunate that successful companies in the US will almost never do the right thing for their workers without being pressured into it.
I’m fully aware that organized labor has overstepped as well. On balance, however, it’s often the only voice that workers have.
I wish these new union members well.

4 years ago

kkards

Veteran

thank you so much for posting this...i had no idea, and this article, as well as others i have read about what they do and do not tell you about their factories, makes me think of this company in a different light

4 years ago

Runcarla

Veteran

Agree with Catherine. I do question the issue of the temp workers hired through an agency earning $2 more than the Everlane workers, since often the temp agency skims money off for their brokering service. Temp agencies do recruiting drives, interviews, background checks, and act as the go between between the new employer and the temp worker for the duration of the temporary contract.

FWIW, I have no bad feelings about temp agencies, since a friend of mine who was having trouble finding employment got taken on by a temp agency. He got lots of support from the agency, weekly contact with his minder and was placed so well, the the new company hired him permanently after 2 months, and he has been moving up in the company - with confidence restored. When with the temp agency he was paid weekly by the temp agency - not the company.

Sorry for hijack.

4 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

The way companies treat workers in the US is egregious. Unions *can* be just another hand in your pocket, but they are also the only recourse. Not cool Everlane.

4 years ago

Kari

Veteran

Temporary agencies *are* the employer, and Carla is correct. Pay comes from them, and there is ALWAYS a markup that goes to the agency. (That’s how the temporary agency makes money to pay their own employees, business and operating expenses, etc.) It’s not “skimming”, it’s a charge to the business that uses them for temporary labor on top of the amount they are paying the temporary worker. (Like if I’m a manager at company x, and I’ve hired a temporary employee from Temporary Services Y, and we’ve agreed that Temporary Services Y will be paying them $15/hour, my contract with Temporary Services Y would have a % of the fee on top of $15/hour that I’d also owe them, so I’d be billed $15 plus whatever that additional % was to Temporary Services Y.)

4 years ago

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Even without a temp agency, contract workers generally make more than those on contracts, because an employment contract typically includes benefits that a temp worker doesn’t get.

4 years ago

Kari

Veteran

Not necessarily! Many times no, when I’ve been employed as a temp.

When someone is an independent contractor - I.e. they are their own business and the contract is between them and the company for specific type of project or labor - that’s more likely to be the case, but that’s a totally different type of employment in the US.

4 years ago

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

A sustainable fashion activist I trust removed Everlane from her brand list a month or two ago. That’s part of why I didn’t include it in the list I posted. The other reason is that they don’t carry my size. I’m totally unsurprised by this news.

4 years ago

annagybe

(website)

Veteran