Victoria group campaigns for fair wages for Cowichan sweater knitters
The knitters of a famous sweater designed on Vancouver Island make roughly $1 an hour, according to the Victoria Native Friendship Centre (VNFC), which is working to increase the knitters’ earnings.
The centre is striving to provide a fair wage to the people who make authentic Cowichan sweaters, which come from the Cowichan Tribes.
“They are wholesaling their sweaters for between $90 and $140 a sweater, which turns out to be about $1 an hour for the average knitter,” said VNFC executive director Ron Rice, pointing out the cost of labour and wool.
On Thursday evening, the friendship centre launched Knit, a website where people can buy authentic Cowichan sweaters made by local artists.
The centre buys the sweaters directly from Cowichan knitters for $500 each. They’re being sold for $895.
“We’re looking at using the proceeds to help design a curriculum for the knitters who want to become more entrepreneurial,” Rice said.
The curriculum will explore business planning, distribution and e-commerce.
“We think there will be knitters who want to… take more control over their individual retail sales,” he said.
By supporting local makers, Rice hopes to prevent cultural appropriation. The designs have previously been copied by several major retailers.
“If you can’t ask somebody who the knitter is, odds are it’s a knockoff,” Rice said.
“A lot of the stores who’ve been doing this for a long time have very deep relationships with their knitters and they can tell you which member of the family knit the sweater, which member of the family spun the wool.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Freeland previews omnibus budget bill, proposed capital gains tax change left out
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation is the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Man dies after suffering cardiac arrest while waiting in ER, widow wants investigation
When an ambulance took David Lippert to the hospital in March of 2023, the 68-year-old Kitchener, Ont., executive was hoping to find out why he was feeling weak and unable to walk. Some 24 hours later, he was found unresponsive in the ER.
BREAKING Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
McGill requests 'police assistance' over pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University says it has 'requested police assistance' about the pro-Palestinian encampment on its lower field.
Judge raises threat of jail in hush money trial as he holds Trump in contempt, fines him US$9,000
Donald Trump was held in contempt of court Tuesday and fined US$9,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order that barred him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his New York hush money case. And if he does it again, the judge warned, he could be jailed.
Court upholds Milwaukee police officer's firing for posting racist memes after Sterling Brown arrest
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a former Milwaukee police officer was properly fired for posting racist memes related to the arrest of an NBA player that triggered a public outcry.
Video captures deadly wrong-way police chase on Highway 401 in Ontario
A new video has surfaced showing a vehicle being pursued by police in the wrong direction on Highway 401 moments prior to a fatal crash that killed four people, including an infant and their grandparents.
New cancer treatment approved, but not everyone thinks it's what's best for patients
A new cancer treatment recently approved in Canada promises to cut treatment time down to just minutes, but experts have differing opinions on whether it's what's best for patients.