Another reason to love Victoria ♥

After class today we went to a factory in Irbid that makes clothes for Gap, Victoria’s Secret, Calvin Klein, and seven other brands. We weren’t thrilled about the excursion, but it turned out to be really interesting and fun. We talked with the manager of the factory, a man who worked in the United States for 21 years in immigration and worked for the United Nations. He explained how this specific factory is known for having exceptional conditions and wages, and is visited frequently by worker’s rights advocates and applauded. The women who work there work from 7:30AM to 4PM, with a lunch break, and are paid $200-$500 a month, which is more than most women in Irbid. The most interesting thing is that the company is the result of a 1994 Jordan/Israel peace agreement, so it’s owned by an family in Israel. Through the agreement, Jordan is permitted to export products duty free to the United States, the condition being eight percent of their industrial inputs come from Israel. The products, when sold in the U.S. and parts of Europe, say “Made in Israel”, while when sold in other areas of the world they say “Made in Jordan.” We found that entertaining. The women working were nice and seemed genuinely happy, (though of course we wouldn’t know for sure). We saw piles of Victoria’s Secret ‘PINK’ underwear, and were fascinated with how they stamp on the labels and designs we adore. I stamped a size/PINK label on one, and we all got free underwear and Gap tank tops! Overall, a better afternoon than anticipated, though no matter how great the conditions are, or how well they compare, I’m still very happy to not spend my day stitching indoors.