Students at the University of Notre Dame came together on April 20, 2012 for the unveiling of "The Shirt 2012" which commemorated 125 years of Notre Dame football. The Shirt Project decided to go with living wage, union made Alta Gracia apparel as their vendor, and we couldn't be happier to have been part of the tradition.
Take a look at this short clip that was taken at the event.
The First Class Steppers of Notre Dame Step-Up for Alta Gracia. Check-out this special guest blog post by their team, explaining why they support the apparel line.
The purpose of the First Class Steppers of Notre Dame is to educate the community of the University of Notre Dame, as well as the greater area of South Bend, Indiana, on the African-American tradition and culture of stepping, a modern form of traditional African dance. This is accomplished through the following means:
Our support for Alta Gracia stems from our mission as advocates for cultural awareness and acceptance. In the very beginning, First Class was drawn to the changes that Alta Gracia aimed to achieve in regards to the manufacturing of the clothing items sold in the Hammes Bookstore. It just made sense to support a company that manufactures clothing of the same quality and price as the items already being sold in the Bookstore minus the exploitation of labor and workers in international countries. Deeper than this, our organization appreciates and fully supports Alta Gracia's mission of "paying its workers a wage that enables them to provide adequate food, clean water, clothing, shelter, health care, child care, and education for themselves and their families--a 'living wage'—and hope for a better future." While many of our performances and events have a local impact, First Class desired to branch out and contribute to global change in a more direct way. Alta Gracia provided a means to do just this with the assurance that our contribution would support immediate change and improvement in the lives of others.
Check out a previous show by The First Class Steppers:
For opportunities to get more involved with the Alta Gracia check out: https://altagraciaapparel.com/get-involved
Like us on Facebook. Tag us and post photos of you and your friends sporting your Alta Gracia gear. Show your campus bookstore some love and post those photos on their page too.
Follow us on Twitter. Tweet about us, retweet us, and of course don’t forget to send some shout outs to your campus bookstore for carrying Alta Gracia.
Guest blog post by Rachel Taber, Alta Gracia Community Education Coordinator
On the 101st Centennial of the Triangle Factory Fire, it’s strange to think how history has spiraled back to the point of departure, at this very place where I’m standing taking photos on my i-phone.
Staring up at Brown Hall – a building where NYU’s biology department is now housed – I think how the windows that students probably start out of wistfully at Washington Square and cherry blossoms on Spring days like this are the same ones that in 1911 young immigrant women – about the age of today’s college students – jumped through to their deaths because they had been locked in to work mandatory overtime, and a fire broke out. It wasn’t a university then – it was a garment factory – when the term ‘sweatshop’ had just been coined in American vernacular because of the way that, before the days of electricity and ventilation, workers would perspire in the steam of clothes-production, inhaling lint in the dark for hours at a time. The tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire galvanized the US labor movement and the ILGWU – the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union – to fight back against child labor, poverty-wages, and managers who were more interested in maximizing production than safety standards like fire escapes, to push for an 8 hour work day, to make huge strides for the women’s rights movement. ILGWU popularized the slogan “Don’t mourn – organize!”
Almost a year ago today, an eerily similar fire broke out at the Ha- Meem factory north of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Young women – not much older than your average college students in the US – had been locked in their factory producing clothing that lines the trendy racks of our nation’s malls. With no escape, like their Triangle predecessors a century before, many preferred to jump than be consumed by flames. ABC news aired a story on it just last week.
Have we solved the problem that the young garment workers of 1911 began to fight? Or just outsourced it? Maybe it has just moved from the corner where I now stand. But I can also see part of the solution from here. I’m such a sap. I’m just rushing through passing the campus event on my way to speak at the NYU business school, but still the handmade cardboard signs with super-glued fabric shirts commemorating each of the victims, dead 101 years now, makes me tear up a little. I’m mourning, but I’m not. I’m tearing up because I have hope.
A block away, still within eyesight, the NYU bookstore now carries one of the largest offerings in the nation of a living-wage union-made option for apparel : Alta Gracia. Sure, they’re t-shirts. But they’re also a beautiful product of history. Of the bookstore management that chose to see students’ enthusiasm for living-wages and union rights as an opportunity to link NYU with social responsibility in the very fabric of school pride. Of Donnie Hodge and Joe Bozich to launch a different kind of business– on that shows that doing good can be good business – the story that I am about to tell to promising young business students of NYU’s Civic Camp Conference. Of the young women – many about the age of today’s college students when they began – of the Fedotrazonas union in the Dominican Republic who saw a better future for their children and took up the cause. Of the young women – their names now on a bronze plaque at my feet – of the ILGWU, who jumped, who fought, who changed the world, who brought us to this place in history. I’m thankful to them.
In the bookstore, there’s a prominent display of NYU tees made at Alta Gracia and a photo of my friend, almost life-size, of union leader Yenny Perez greets shoppers when they enter the store. Alta Gracia is a t-shirt. A hoodie. Sweats! But Alta Gracia isn’t just a brand. It’s a relationship between all of these people, it’s a part of a current in history taking the world to a new place. This is everybody’s movement. We wouldn’t be here without each piece. And we’re not going anywhere unless we all come together. I’m thankful to everyone helping us to make a difference, helping us to make sure stories like the Triangle Factory Fire never repeat themselves again. Don’t mourn. Organize.
Guest blog post by Elly Stolnitz, a New York University Civic Action team member, explaining the mission of the Civic Action team, talking about what to expect at the upcoming 2012 Civic Camp starting Friday, March 23rd, and why they decided to partner with Alta Gracia!
This Friday, March 23, 2012, the New York University Civic Team is very excited to be hosting its annual Civic Camp! The NYU Civic Team provides students opportunities to volunteer or intern on an ongoing basis at New York City non-profit or government agencies, and through their active participation in educational programs and experiential learning increase their knowledge and understanding of the societal issues that these agencies strive to address. Civic Camp is an annual day-long intensive workshop intended to bridge social justice and civic engagement in an effort to prepare students to be social advocates in their local communities and abroad. Through Civic Camp, the Civic Team hopes to open students' eyes to different trajectories for creating change, provide networking opportunities and enhance skill development.
This year the theme of Civic Camp is "Act Local, Think Global" and given Alta Gracia's socially responsible business model, the Civic Team immediately thought of Alta Gracia as the perfect participant for our corporate responsibility panel, titled Bridging the Gap: Corporate Perspectives on Social Responsibility. Last semester the NYU Bookstore chose the Civic Team to receive 20% of sales of Alta Gracia apparel sold on October 6, 2011 as part of National Student Day. It was an extremely successful fundraiser in partnership with the Coalition for Alta Gracia @ NYU and we are very happy to have the opportunity to collaborate with Alta Gracia again. Other workshops during Civic Camp will focus on human trafficking, social entrepreneurship, homelessness, environmental volunteerism, and social media approaches to social change. We know that companies can view and approach social responsibility in various ways, and we are looking forward to hearing from Rachel Taber about Alta Gracia's visions, stories and approaches in making a positive impact on development, business and society.
Guest blog post by Northeastern student, Kate Pipa on her visit to Villa Altagracia and the impact she saw the Alta Gracia factory have on the children and families she met.
One afternoon during the college student delegation visit to the Alta Gracia factory in January, a group of us traveled to a beautiful little park in Villa Altagracia to hear from the children of Alta Gracia workers. After a fun game of team tag, we all gathered in a circle and introduced ourselves.
The children ranged from roughly 8 years old to 20 or so and told us stories about how their lives have gotten better since their parents now work at Alta Gracia. It was great to see how the families are now able to afford to send their children to better schools, and even on to secondary education, now that there is more money in their family budget because Alta Gracia workers make a living wage. One daughter mentioned that before Alta Gracia was opened, her mother was forced to work long, late hours, and she would never see her, causing stress at home. Now workers have a solid schedule, with planned breaks and just compensation for overtime, and in turn are able to spend more time with their families.
Another important change was that in the past, personal aspirations were limited for the children. Now, goals and aspirations can flower. On a more personal note, this reminds me of my family. Both of my parents work in a union factory, where they collectively bargain for their rights at work. In turn, they, and myself, have benefits, a solid healthcare plan and they are able to help send my sister and I to college. It is interesting to think about what their workplace might be like if they didn’t have a union representing the rights of the workers.
Other benefits include families being able to pay off their debts. They are also able to spend more money within the local economy, renting out halls for birthday parties, buying from local restaurants and grocery stores. Workers can remain within Villa Altagracia with their families, instead of having to travel to larger cities like Santo Domingo to find work and then return home on the weekends. Some families are even able to save enough money to open up small businesses of their own, such as one family we visited with who now have a laundry mat they have been operating for about a year.
In closing, during the two years Alta Gracia has been open, one worker mentioned she can rely on a stable income, a safe and respectable work environment, in turn providing a better future for her family and children. I’m so proud to be a part of the Alta Gracia team and hope that people who read this will be inspired to get involved in the movement and support Alta Gracia apparel on their campus!
For opportunities to get more involved with the Alta Gracia check out: https://altagraciaapparel.com/get-involved
Like us on Facebook. Tag us and post photos of you and your friends sporting your Alta Gracia gear. Show your campus bookstore some love and post those photos on their page too.
Follow us on Twitter. Tweet about us, retweet us, and of course don’t forget to send some shout outs to your campus bookstore for carrying Alta Gracia.
Join other members of the Ignatian family for a series of online workshops about Alta Gracia, a living-wage union-made apparel initiative rooted in a decade of student and worker organizing!
CHANGE your clothes! CHANGE the garment industry! CHANGE workers’ lives!
Join other members of the Ignatian family for a series of online workshops about Alta Gracia, a living-wage union-made apparel initiative rooted in a decade of student and worker organizing!
Alta Gracia brings living-wage college-logo t-shirts and hoodies to hundreds of college campuses. We want to see more! Help us bring a meaningful amount to your campus that will support workers and signal to the industry: we want change!
Alta Gracia presents a new business model that sets a social responsibility standard above all other brands in the collegiate market by paying a “living wage”. Set at more than three-times the Dominican minimum wage and based on a cost of living study conducted by independent labor rights watchdog Workers Rights Consortium this “salario digno” enables workers to support their families with dignity, covering food, housing, transportation, health care and education costs for their children. The ripple effect in the community is impressive: new businesses have opened across from the factory, construction has picked up as workers invest in more livable homes, and not just children but Alta Gracia workers themselves are going back to school to continue where poverty had forced them to abandon studies. At Alta Gracia, workers enjoy top health and safety standards at work and a union – a voice on the job. WRC has unrestricted access to the factory and regularly consults with workers in the community to ensure accountability. You can also read “Will College Loyalty Embrace ‘Living Wage’ Sweatshirts?”, and "Research Progress Report: Alta Gracia" two research studies written by John Kline, Ph.D. (Georgetown University). This New York Times article is helpful introduction to Alta Gracia.
Help transform the global apparel industry and the lives of workers and their families in Villa Altagracia. Join us for a workshop and get involved.
BRINGING ALTA GRACIA TO YOUR HIGH SCHOOL & COMMUNITY: TEACHING ABOUT ALTA GRACIA
Wednesday, January18th at 3pm Eastern/ 12pm Pacific
For high school students and staff interested in learning more about Alta Gracia and how to bring it to your school/community – others are welcome.
ALTA GRACIA: ROOTS & IMPACT OF THE FIRST LIVING-WAGE UNION-MADE COLLEGE LOGO APPAREL INITIATIVE
Thursday the 19th 4pm Eastern/ 1pm Pacific
For university students and staff interested in learning more about Alta Gracia, the background, the history, and how you can educate your campus.
STUDENT ORGANIZING: HOW TO BRING LIVING-WAGE UNION-MADE APPAREL TO YOUR CAMPUS
Tuesday the 24th 9pm Eastern/ 6pm Pacific
For university and college students who want to engage their campus in Alta Gracia by educating their peers and increasing the presence of Alta Gracia products across campus.
STUDENT ORGANIZING: HOW TO BRING LIVING-WAGE UNION MADE APPAREL TO YOUR CAMPUS & COMMUNITY
Saturday, 28th – 4pm Eastern
For high school students interested in learning how to organize students at your campus or in your community around Alta Gracia.
REGISTRATION TBA
Questions? Ideas? – Contact: [email protected].
For opportunities to get more involved with the Alta Gracia check out: https://altagraciaapparel.com/get-involved
Like us on Facebook. Tag us and post photos of you and your friends sporting your Alta Gracia gear. Show your campus bookstore some love and post those photos on their page too.
Follow us on Twitter. Tweet about us, retweet us, and of course don’t forget to send some shout outs to your campus bookstore for carrying Alta Gracia.
Guest blog post from Penn State graduate student and a proud Common Threads team member! A spotlight on one of our Alta Gracia supporters.
In Strength to Love, written by Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1963, King remarks,
“We are everlasting debtors to known and unknown men and women.... When we arise in the morning, we go into the bathroom where we reach for a sponge provided for us by a Pacific Islander. We reach for soap that is created for us by a Frenchman. The towel is provided by a Turk. Then at the table we drink coffee which is provided for us by a South American, or tea by a Chinese, or cocoa by a West African. Before we leave for our jobs, we are beholden to more than half the world.”
That list could go on and on today - precious minerals for computer processors coming from the conflict-ridden Congo. Shipped to China where factory workers produce iPhones and other technological devices.
For me, Alta Gracia is fascinating because it illustrates the potential good that can be accomplished by companies in a complex, global economy. Alta Gracia is a shining example of what a socially responsible company looks like - a factory whose workers are raving about working conditions and pay. An economic model that brings immense wealth to the local community. An honest and open connection between Dominican workers and American students.
Spending six years growing up in Northern China exposed me to the plight of countless factory workers and other workers who were victims of the vicious cycle of poverty and hopelessness. Interning in the CSR department of a large shoe factory in Southern China two summers ago gave me direct experience with factory workers. The life-changing experience helped me connect with workers and understand complex issues of factory work on a personally meaningful level. I am eternally grateful to my countless friends and coworkers that invited me into the way of life there. They have encouraged me to dedicate myself fully to the race of life, particularly to my collegiate education.
This spring, I will graduate wih a Master’s Degree in Human Resources and Employment Relations at Penn State University. My vision is to one day start a social business (see Muhammad Yunus) whose profit is solely dedicated to lifting people out of poverty. I see myself returning to China or another Asian country, as I am familiar with the culture, but am excited to move anywhere to start a social business. What better model of this idea than Alta Gracia?
Interning with Alta Gracia has helped me learn how to cast a vision and raise up a movement. Additionally, it has inspired me to cling fast to my vision of starting a social business. Educating the Penn State community has helped me understand just how difficult the fight for worker rights is, as well as how many actors are content with the status quo. As the other interns surely can attest, the idea of trade justice (or caring about what goes into the products we buy) is a young and foreign idea to most (if not all) of our peers.
But I am not dismayed beyond finding agency in the problem. At times, the adversity further motivates me to work for factory workers around the world. In the end, the reward of seeing just one additional individual receive a fair wage and chance to work far outweighs my own sacrifice in time and energy. May we all as activists seek a similar reward, and never forget that truth and justice are on our side.
For opportunities to get more involved with the Alta Gracia check out: https://altagraciaapparel.com/get-involved
Like us on Facebook. Tag us and post photos of you and your friends sporting your Alta Gracia gear. Show your campus bookstore some love and post those photos on their page too.
Follow us on Twitter. Tweet about us, retweet us, and of course don’t forget to send some shout outs to your campus bookstore for carrying Alta Gracia.
Our 2011 wrap-up and 2012 New Years resolutions. It's all here!
We are so excited to wrap-up an exciting and successful 2011. Looking back on this past year we have seen some remarkable moments that. You voted on your top favorite Alta Gracia moments of 2011 and here they are
The Alta Gracia Factory Worker East Coast Tour
Our Alta Gracia factory workers decided they wanted to share their stories and meet our supporters in person—so they hit the road. Maritza Vargas and Elba Nuris traveled all the way from Villa Altagracia in the Dominican Republic to Washington, D.C. and toured east coast college campuses like Temple University, New York University, Columbia, University of North Carolina, Duke and Yale. It was a powerful two weeks for them to meet the people who work everyday to ensure the success of Alta Gracia. Students and individuals all along the East Coast had the opportunity to meet these workers in person, ask questions, and learn about how Alta Gracia was started, the challenges we have faced, the successes we fought for and the hopes for the future of the factory, the workers and their families.
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Our First Live-Streamed Public Networking Event
The Alta Gracia team has been traveling across the country attending college and community events to meet supporters and educate the public about our mission. But on June 16th we held our own event in Washington D.C. and opened it to anyone in the area. But that’s not all—we also live-streamed the event and had people from all over the country join in too. The event boasted speakers from the Workers Rights Consortium, United Students Against Sweatshops, the Alta Gracia team and the main event was Skyping in two of our factory workers. Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and connect Alta Gracia supporters.
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We Receive an A+ from the Workers Rights Consortium Working Conditions Report
The Workers Rights Consortium is a third party watchdog that monitors factory conditions. They have unrestricted access to the factory and make frequent visits. We are proud to announce that we received an A+ after year two--Proving that we continue to stand by our vision of paying our workers a living wage, respecting their rights, and fostering a happy and healthy work environment.
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CSR Report Shows that Consumer Conscious Products (Like Alta Gracia) Are Gaining Popularity
The Huffington Post published an article on a new consumer report showing that 98% of consumers prefer to purchase products that support a cause. When cost and product quality were not a factor 98 out of 100 survey respondents, “are looking for an enlightening way to spend their dollars.” Great news for Alta Gracia apparel since our sweatshirts, hoodies, and tees not only cost the same as other brands but are also made with the highest quality.
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Alta Gracia is Featured in Good Magazine…Twice
Good Magazine featured Alta Gracia two times this year. First, as a “Good Co-Finalist”, we were one of two companies that make “international trade fairer”. To be more specific Good looked at companies around the country who are, “treating their workers rights and creating sustainable economic systems”. Well Good settled on Alta Gracia and Good Harvest. The second time we were featured it was looking into how we manage to stay competitive while paying our workers a living wage. Delving deeper into how our vision for Alta Gracia has become a reality and how it is proving that you can pay a living wage to the people who make the clothes.
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Alta Gracia Launches the Common Threads Movement
At our One-Year Anniversary (back in September), we launched a new “Get Involved” program called the Common Threads Movement--An initiative to involve supporters from all over to join the Alta Gracia mission. Now students and individuals have the opportunity to join the movement by writing a blog post, wearing Alta Gracia and submitting a photo, or offering to host an Alta Gracia event, inviting friends to “like” us on Facebook and more!
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Need some New Years resolution ideas?
The Alta Gracia team came-up with a few socially conscious options to consider for 2012.
1. Purchase Alta Gracia and share your support with friends and networks.
2. Carry your groceries in reusable bags.
3. Repurpose your old clothes.
4. Buy locally whenever you can.
5. Invite five of your friends to join the Common Threads Movement.
Happy Holidays from the Alta Gracia Team!
To keep the Alta Gracia factory a happy and fun workplace (on top of paying our workers a living-wage) we closed the factory for the holidays. Our workers also had some fun in the week leading up to their much-deserved vacation. Here are some photos of the kind of working environment we foster for the people who make the Alta Gracia clothes.
These photos are evidence of what we fight for everyday. Thanks to all who support Alta Gracia and work to help us become the top college apparel brand in the country. It’s because of your hard work and dedication to our vision that together we continue to provide hope and a pathway out of poverty for our factory workers.
Happy Holidays
The Alta Gracia Team
Copyright 2012" Alta Gracia.
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