Corporate Respnsibility

"Consumers are increasingly aware that the impact of their product purchase goes far beyond the cash register"
- Robert Reich, U.S. Secretary of Labor during the Clinton administration

Take a look at the infamous brand American Apparel. Known for its plain tees and "regular people" models, this store has taken a new way of business of doing business. In 2000, company founder and CEO Dov Charney created a business that promoted immigrant rights and labor policies and would be known as a company that was "sweatshop free". A little side note that may be of interest to some: Dov is Montreal born and raised and also went to my high school. I met him twice in Montreal, and he left quite the impression... looks like a man straight out of the 70's, I thought it was a joke.. but sadly no, it wasn't.
American Apparel's main headquarters are in downtown Los Angeles, and the factory that makes the clothes is situated in the same spot. They pay their workers more then $12/hour, and despite this high salary, I am making less at my current job, this has not made a dent in the company's yeary earnings. In fact, just as Dov thought, it would make them ever more popular and successful. American Apparel also offers paid time-off, english lessons, free telephones where workers can take and receive long distancephone calls, and numerous other benefits. The company is also environmentally freindly and offers their workers bicycles to go to and from work.
In 2005, American Apparel hosted their bikini car wash, and the company package 80,000 t-shirts for the relief effort in the after-math of Hurrican Katrina.

Now there's CSR done right.