The pandemic held a magnifying glass to ingrained exploitation of garment workers globally. This year and last, many already-underpaid workers were laid off without severance, and others became victims of wage theft and diminishing working conditions resulting from price cuts and cancelled and unpaid orders from cash-strapped brands. There have also been reports of union busting and harassment, not to mention health risks. As facilities hastily reopened, many companies saw surges in infection rates before vaccines were readily available or as new variants took over.

This only further motivated workers-rights advocates and organizations to campaign for brands to “#PayUp” and for legislation that protects workers. Retailers agreed in August to extend the Bangladesh Accord (now the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry), which holds them legally accountable for labor violations. In September, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law the Garment Worker Protection Act (or SB62), which similarly holds brands accountable and sets fairer payment practices in the state, which is home to the largest concentration of garment workers in the United States.