Photo: Debbie Noda/? Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
After being asked in August to send paperwork to ensure that Forever 21’s apparel contractors and manufacturers are abiding by the Fair Labor Standards Act, the U.S. Department of Labor filed a motion in California yesterday, to supposedly “enforce” the original subpoena. The Department’s Ruben Rosalez told WWD, “Since 2008, our investigators have identified dozens of manufacturers producing goods for Forever 21 under sweatshoplike conditions,” saying they plan to do everything they can to “recover workers’ wages and hold employers accountable.” Ruben to the rescue! But, really — as if ignoring the subpoena doesn’t look weird or anything.
