Garment workers in America’s fashion capital may make just $6 an hour. A new law could change that

California measure would end practice of paying workers per piece made and put brands on the hook for wage theft claims

Los Angeles is considered the center of garment manufacturing in America, employing over 40,000 people to make clothing for fashion brands including Reformation, Forever 21, Charlotte Russe and Wet Seal.

But for decades those workers have functioned under a system that sees them paid per piece they construct, meaning they often earn less than $6 per hour, according to a University of California, Los Angeles, study - less than half of California's minimum wage.