Passaic NJ textile company could close if Girl Scouts of America takes its business to China

[brentspeak]

http://www.northjersey.com/news/102810_Passaic_textile_company_could_lose_90_jobs_if_Girl_Scouts_end_contract.html

Thursday, October 28, 2010
Last updated: Thursday October 28, 2010, 6:18 PM
BY ALEXANDER MACINNES
The Record
STAFF WRITER

PASSAIC — A local textile company could be forced to lay off 90 employees and shut its doors if its only client, The Girl Scouts of the USA, decides to take its business to China.

Jackie Evans Inc. has been making the uniforms for the Girl Scouts for about 10 years, but that business could be in danger if the national organization can get more value and cheaper pricing from a different manufacturer.

Girl Scouts officials said the Passaic company is one of four vendors it will seek proposals from to produce the group’s iconic sashes and uniforms. Two of those vendors are overseas, one based in China, said Barry Horowitz, vice president and general manager for Girl Scouts merchandise.

Still, workers at the Third Street factory worried about their future if the Girl Scouts terminates its contract with the company, which has been home to generations of local workers.

snip

Rep. Bill Pascrell D-Paterson has also weighed in on the process, issuing a letter to Connie Lindsey, the national president for the Girls Scouts. Pascrell questioned the organization for considering doing business with companies in China, a country that has fewer workplace restrictions.

“To be quite blunt, if you decide to transfer production of these uniforms abroad it is not inconceivable to think our American Girl Scouts could be seen wearing uniforms made abroad in part by young girls who would be deemed not old enough to work in the United States,” Pascrell wrote.

[Canuckistanian]

1. Chinese Girl Scout uniforms. Wonderful.

Now, I'll bet all those parents must feel awful that they didn't work hard enough to raise revenue for their little girls.

Now the Girl Scouts have been FORCED to buy foreign clothes.

For shame, parents of Girl Scouts.

[Zephie]

2. My experience with the Girl Scouts as a child was hateful

They don't stand for any type of values anyway. This sort of thing doesn't surprise me one bit.

[obliviously]

4. Most people don't consider

smoking pot to be a good value, but to each his own.

[Zephie]

6. Yeh well not everyone believes what biased studies tell them, but to each his own.

I personally know that marijuana takes away the pain of my neurological disorder when no big pharma drug has, so that's A-ok with me. What ISN'T ok with me was being locked in closets during Girl Scout meetings as a child because the leaders didn't like that I spoke my mind, or that a little girl who sold over 1,000+ boxes of cookies every year and got honored by her local chapter could be thrown out of her troop because the leaders didn't like the fact that her mother was a "cripple" and couldn't help out at meetings.

So... Wanna take a "pot shot" at my legalization stance again? =|

(edited for sentence structure change)

[ClassWarrior]

8. The word "hateful" indicates to me that it was the fault of poor volunteer leaders...

...and not the program itself, which - done right - teaches little girls to be strong women.

NGU.

[Zephie]

10. I agree, my leaders were terrible people, but the local council did nothing to stop it

even when complaints were filed by my family.

[ClassWarrior]

13. Trust me, I know what you're saying. But again, the program, done right...

...is excellent and empowering.

NGU.

[obliviously]

3. Having only one customer is a poor business model

They were dead a long time ago, it just hadn't caught up with them yet.

[Enthusiast]

5. Nice attitude.

Thanks for sharing it.

[Brickbat]

7. This makes me sick. "More value"? Are you really telling me that having 12-year-old girls with no

work rights whatsoever making uniforms offers "more value"? For the freaking GIRL SCOUTS?

[ClassWarrior]

12. Excellent point. Please contact GSA offices and share that. I will too.

NGU.

[Codeine]

9. Lovely. Little girls having fun wearing uniforms sewn by girls their age

in Chinese sweatshops as their childhood slips away. That's sad on so many levels.

[piratefish08]

11. +1