The Fight for L.A's Garment Workers' Rights in DTLA 2040 Plan

For the past decade, city planners and stakeholders in downtown Los Angeles have been working on the DTLA 2040 plan, a development blueprint that sets the area's priorities for the next 20 years. However, during most of that time, the plan neglected the input of garment workers, leaving them excluded from the decision-making process. The recent amendments to the plan, driven by the advocacy efforts of organizations like the Garment Worker Center, finally recognized the importance of protecting the rights and livelihoods of these essential workers. This blog post explores the intersection of fashion justice, housing justice, and migrant labor justice, highlighting the significance of including garment workers in urban development plans.

L.A’s Fashion Industry and its Garment Workers

The garment industry in Los Angeles, with approximately 40,000 workers, accounts for about 83% of the nation's cut-and-sew manufacturing. This industry has been a vital economic driver, not only for Southern California but also for the fashion industry nationwide. Additionally, these jobs have provided crucial opportunities for low-income immigrants and individuals without English fluency. Many garment workers reside in Westlake and MacArthur Park neighborhoods, which are among the few remaining affordable areas in the city.

The proposed DTLA 2040 plan aimed to increase residential units downtown has the potential of displacing garment industry businesses. Gentrification in downtown Los Angeles has already posed hardships for garment workers and their families, as the changing landscape has reduced job opportunities and transformed sewing factories into vacant retail and residential properties. This situation exacerbates economic inequality, leaving workers unemployed and limiting their access to affordable housing. The plan also does not guarantee that jobs in the Fashion District will be prioritized. This means that further work needs to be done for the plan to incentivize manufacturing space, as well as industry-specific workforce and economic development programs — to maintain the garment industry in LA and the jobs workers rely on for themselves and their families. 

The Fight for Protection of L.A’s Fashion District

Fortunately, the Garment Worker Center and union organizers, such as Unite Here Local 11, stepped in to advocate for the inclusion of protections for garment workers in the plan.

The Garment Worker Center was able to help win the following amendments in the DTLA 2040 Community Plan for the Fashion District: 

  1. A prohibition on new hotels

  2. A prohibition on conversion of viable industrial spaces into luxury lofts from 7th street to Santee, to 16th St to Crocker St.

  3. Incentives to build more housing if a property owner dedicates 50% of their building to manufacturing in buildings from Broadway to 7th St to Crocker St to 16th St.

  4. A City-funded study of what exists and what resources and trainings are needed to support workers and garment businesses throughout the region

  5. Protections against displacement of garment businesses in existing buildings

The amendments included increased manufacturing space requirements for new housing developments in the Fashion District, ensuring that the industry can continue to thrive. The amendments approved represent a significant win for the garment industry and its workers. This was achieved in the face of developers striving to divide garment workers and tenants by arguing that they could either protect workers and small businesses OR have affordable housing. In addition, critics have argued that these amendments might jeopardize housing production, potentially rendering a significant number of planned housing units financially unfeasible in the short term. However, it is important to acknowledge that garment workers were excluded from the planning process for seven years. 

Excluding their needs and then to claim there was insufficient time to accommodate them is disingenuous. The plan should have prioritized their needs from the outset with no need for adjustments. And, although earlier this May, city council voted to approve the DTLA 2040 Community Plan, last-minute claims have suggested that requiring minimal manufacturing space for new developments in the heart of the Fashion District would end up restricting housing opportunities. This has resulted in a report back process that has delayed any final decisions to be made. 

Preserving LA’s Fashion District Ecosystem

The Fashion District in downtown LA represents a unique ecosystem of sewers, designers, dyers, and small manufacturing facilities that have fueled the city's fashion and creative industry for nearly a century. Preserving this ecosystem is crucial to maintaining the livelihoods of garment workers and the city's reputation as a fashion hub. The DTLA 2040 plan should strive to protect garment manufacturing jobs and businesses from displacement, ensuring the city's growth benefits all its residents.

The intersection of fashion justice, housing justice, and migrant labor justice is essential for creating equitable urban development plans. Recognizing the significance of garment workers and their contributions to the economy and cultural fabric of Los Angeles is crucial in tackling the housing crisis while protecting vulnerable communities. The amendments to the DTLA 2040 plan represent a step in the right direction, but more work is needed to address the concerns of these workers and ensure a fair and sustainable future for all Angelenos.