1) Shipping costs
2) Shipping delays
3) I still have not received my order, what should I do ?
4) Is there any duty fees ?
5) Refund or exchange
6) T-shirts measures and sizes
7) Where are the t-shirt produced at ?
8) Where are going the profits ?
9) I am an artist and i would like to contribute to the shop
10) Payment
11) Work conditions and information on the t-shirt production
12) Information on locally produced t-shirts
13) How to contact us ?

1) Shipping costs

Click here to see our detailed shipping costs for each country.


2) Shipping delays

Our t-shirts are shipped from United States.
United States: maximum 1 week
Canada: 1-2 weeks
Overseas: 2-3 weeks

Don't worry, so far all our orders have arrived to their destination. If you have not received anything after 1 month, contact us and your money will be refunded.


4) Are there any duty fees ?

So far, none of our clients had to pay duty fees. Duty fees are usually charged by private companies like UPS or FedEx. We ship with USPS standard post so there will not be any extra duty fees to pay when your order is delivered.


5) Refund or exchange

If you find an error in your order, or if you are not satisfied with the quality, size, or quantity, contact us to request a refund or an exchange. You will have to return the t-shirts to the printer company at your own expense unless it is determined an error was made on our part, at which time you will be credited with the return postage fees.


6) T-shirts measurements and sizes

Men's t-shirt:
http://english.ni-dieu-ni-maitre.com/shop/info/producttypedetails/Popup/Show/productType/210/
Women's t-shirt:
http://women.ni-dieu-ni-maitre.com/shop/info/producttypedetails/Popup/Show/productType/347/


7) Where are the t-shirts produced ?

All of our t-shirts are printed by an American company that is very respectful of its worker's rights.
We offer two types of t-shirts to print on : imported or produced locally (American Apparel), it's up to you to chose.


8) Where are the profits going ?

Ni-dieu-ni-maitre.com is a non-profit shop. All profits will be used to fund anti-capitalist projects. Among others, this shop is used to fund the activities of the Resistance.tk network, their 6 websites and their journal:
http://www.Anarcho-Punk.net - http://www.resistance.tk - http://www.Pirate-Punk.net - http://www.QuebecUnderground.net - http://Webzine.Resistance.tk - http://www.PunksAndSkins.com
The Resistance Network also funds anti-capitalist compilations against the music industry.

In the future, if we obtain enough money we would like to donate to anarchist organizations and support political prisoners.


9) I am an artist and I would like to contribute to the shop

This shop is a collective project and we are open to any form of collaboration. If you are an artist and you would like to contribute by donating t-shirt designs, contact us.


10) Payment

Currently, only payments through PAYPAL or with a credit card are accepted. Even if you don't have a credit card, you can use Paypal to link your bank account. Use PAYPAL, it's easy, fast, secure and free !

Here is some information concerning the production of our imported t-shirts, coming from the manufacturer's website:

Hiring age:
The company has a strict policy under which the hiring of underage employees is absolutely prohibited. While the legal working age in some countries is 16 years old, no employees under 18 years old are hired.

Wages:
Our manufacturer pays competitive wages in all countries in which it operates. Wages are superior than the other companies in the business. In some countries where the overall unemployment rate is high, the company producing our t-shirts is proud of its record in creating well-paying jobs with attractive benefits. This has had a direct positive impact on the quality of life of their workers and their families. The employees work in modern air-conditioned and clean facilities, and their wages are generally twice the national minimum wage for the apparel sector. The company also offers incentives above basic salaries to employees who exceed certain objectives. These bonuses to their basic wages reward those workers whose performance is above average, similar to the model found in many North American companies.

Conditions of work:
La compagnie s'efforce de fournir des conditions décentes de travail. Dans les pays chaud, les usines ont l'air climatisé et sont très propres.
Les employés sont formés pour respecter des conditions de travail saines et sécuritaires et toutes les précautions sont prises pour éviter des blessures. Les normes de sécurités excèdent souvent ceux des autres usines de la région. La qualité de l'air est assurée et respecte les normes nord-américaines.

The manufacturer work toward improving the lives of workers producing our products, ensuring an ethical and stimulating work environment, and respecting and enhancing the local communities in which we operate. To engage in dialogue, share ideas and build consensus, we invite groups representing workers and factories, students, colleges, trade unions, academia, governments, local communities and consumers to communicate with us.

This can be done through a variety of methods, including face-to-face meetings, focus groups or round tables facilitated by external independent facilitators, workshops and seminars, confidential questionnaires, and anonymous feedback. Our belief is that engagement should be mutually beneficial and highly transparent, that the focus should be on common ground and creative solutions, and that the outcome should lead to real value for both the company and its stakeholders.

Social advantages:
The company provides many benefits to its employees, such as access to free medical assistance, subsidized transportation to and from work, subsidized meals and filtered water, and it empowers workers by providing them the opportunity to upgrade their skill sets and education levels. Classes are offered so employees can earn their diplomas, and extensive on-the-job training is also provided to employees. In addition, the company sponsors family days, where employees are encouraged to invite relatives to visit the facility and share lunch with them at the company's expense.

Length of work day:
The working conditions allow employees to work a "4X4 schedule". The 4X4 schedule means that workers perform the work of a conventional workweek in four days of eleven hours each. These four days of work are then followed by four days off. This work schedule is appreciated by the majority of our employees and respects local laws. It should be noted that similar schedules are used by many major organizations in North America and elsewhere. This is a popular arrangement, particularly for families with children, since it allows at least one parent to be at home more frequently.

Health and safety
There is a strict health and safety policy which all employees are required to respect. The employee manual, which is given out upon hiring, lists rules and regulations regarding safe and secure work practices. In addition, on a regular basis, employees are given up-to-date training and refresher courses in safe operations. All standards at our plants meet or often exceed local codes with an emphasis on personal safety and healthy working conditions. There is also a health and safety committee at each plant that oversees the application of health and safety regulations. Some of the facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art medical clinics staffed by a doctor and nurse. In those areas where they are required, workers are supplied with face masks and such use is promoted by management.

The company is committed to high air quality standards in all its facilities in order to provide a healthy and safe work environment to all workers. Air quality tests are regularly performed in all of our plants and the Honduran facilities even exceed local norms, having been designed to meet Canadian air quality standards.
Facilities are completely equipped according to local fire codes and other relevant regulations. Fire exits are clearly identified and accessible, and workers are given ongoing training regarding exit procedures and emergency behaviour.

Respect:
One of the fundamental principles is to provide employees with a working environment free of all discriminatory practices. The company does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, political opinion, or social or ethnic origin. In addition, there is a "zero-tolerance" policy with respect to sexual harassment or any other discriminatory behaviour.

Environmement:
In April 2004, our manufacturer became the first manufacturer catering to the wholesale imprinted activewear market to obtain the Oeko-tex Standard 100 certification, the most internationally recognized eco-label designation in the textile supply chain. A rigorous process comprising over 100 individual tests is required to achieve the standard. It ensures that the production process and the textiles themselves pose no risk to the human body through skin contact, ingestion or inhalation, thereby offering consumers maximum confidence in terms of health and environmental implications when buying textiles.

Our manufacturer take a leadership role in the adoption of sustainable and forward-looking environmental practices. Among the innovations that they have implemented in recent years are the operation of a biological wastewater treatment system, the production of environmentally friendly products, and the use of safe, clean and energy-efficient manufacturing procedures and inputs.

Our manufacturer is one of the few companies in its industry to have defined strict requirements for the supply of all chemicals, dyes and materials used in production. Such supplies are selected and monitored to ensure that they have been approved for use by the appropriate regulatory authorities, and that they present no adverse effects to health or the environment. In addition, production processes are controlled to ensure reduced energy and water consumption and to minimize effluent discharge.
In January 2003, the company adopted an Environmental Policy, which details their commitment to the protection of the environment and the conservation of natural resources. Click here for the detailled Environmental Policy
Click here for the list of the environmental initiatives

Code of conduit & fair labor:
The facilities are certified by many international standards, among others:
- California Safety Compliance Corporation (CSCC)
- Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production (WRAP)
- Fair Labor Association (FLA)
- Oeko-tex Certification
- The Worker Rights Consortium (WRC)
Official quote : "A key element in demonstrating our commitment to being a socially responsible employer in all our geographical hubs is the successful implementation of our Social Compliance Program for labour practices and working conditions. This program is designed to ensure that, at a minimum, all facilities comply with our own strict internal Code of Conduct, local and international laws, and the codes to which we adhere, including those of Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production (WRAP) and Fair Labor Association (FLA). When external suppliers are being used, they must also adhere to these codes. This is, in fact, a condition for doing business with us."

Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production : The company's initial WRAP certification followed a comprehensive and independent verification carried out by the Bureau Veritas Quality International. WRAP is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and certification of lawful, humane and ethical manufacturing throughout the world. WRAP promotes a code of conduct that ensures that core labor concepts are understood and practiced on the shop room floor and by management. WRAP relies upon independent, third-party monitors to certify that factories are in compliance with WRAP's Code of Conduct.
Click here for WRAP's Code of Conduct

Fair Labor Association : The company's labour compliance program was accredited by the FLA on June 13, 2007. The Company is the first vertically-integrated basic activewear apparel manufacturer to receive accreditation.
The FLA is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization whose goal is to promote adherence to international labour standards and improve working conditions worldwide. It represents a multi-stakeholder coalition of companies, universities and non-governmental organizations committed to a rigorous program of code of conduct implementation, monitoring and remediation in order to bring manufacturing sites into compliance with FLA standards.

Our manufacturer is proud to have received the accreditation from the FLA, which is recognized internationally as one of the most highly respected independent verification agencies. They applied to become a Participating Company of the FLA largely because of the credible, transparent and open process it offers for compliance with labour standards. The FLA's method of annual public reporting, its strict Workplace Code of Conduct, and the fact it employs internal and external independent audits were all key elements that prompted the company to seek FLA membership. The FLA also serves as a source of information to consumers as it promotes public awareness about labour conditions around the world through candid and transparent reporting.

The FLA Code of Conduct focuses on important principles based on the core labour standards of the International Labor Organization. These include the prohibition of forced labour, child labour, harassment or abuse, and discrimination; provisions with regards to health and safety; the right of employees to freedom of association and collective bargaining, wages and benefits, and overtime compensation; as well as limits on regular and overtime hours of work. The FLA reports on the global and factory level activities of its Participating Companies through its annual Public Report, which describes the compliance programs of Participating Companies, common compliance issues in countries of manufacture, and efforts made by Participating
Click here for FLA's Code of Conduct


Worker Rights Consortium : A non-profit organization created by college and university administrations, students and labor rights experts. The WRC's purpose is to assist in the enforcement of manufacturing Codes of Conduct adopted by colleges and universities.
In January 2005, our manufacturer collaborated with WRC in order to fully comply with the different codes of conduct it subscribes to, including the U.S. university and colleges codes of conduct, and to achieve a successful resolution of the outstanding issues with the organization.

Donations to humanitarian aid and charity:
Our manufacturer is committed to improving people's quality of life and supporting communities in which they operate. This is the underlying theme that determines all their charitable giving. Around the globe, they give back to communities through donations centered on humanitarian aid, youth and education.

Click here for a list of recent initiatives in North America
Click here for a list of recent initiatives offshore

All of our locally produced t-shirts are produced by American Apparel.
American Apparel bases its manufacturing in a factory in downtown Los Angeles, California. The company also owns and operates its own fabric dye house, garment dye house, and knitting facility, all based in Los Angeles. American Apparel has decided not to outsource its labor, paying factory workers an average of over twelve dollars an hour. Garment workers for similar American companies in China earn approximately 40 cents per hour. It claims to have the 'highest earning apparel workers in the world'.
The company also promotes a number of progressive policies including immigrant rights and labor policies the company dubs "sweatshop free."

The company uses "team manufacturing" which pools the strongest workers towards priority orders. Each team functions autonomously and determines its own daily production schedule, giving them control over their own hourly wages. After its implementation, garment production tripled and required a less than 20% staff increase. The factory claims to have the capacity to produce 1 million shirts per week and manufacture 275,000 pieces a day. According to The New York Times it is the largest single garment factory in the United States and employs over 4,000 people across two buildings.

Involvment in immigrant rights
A banner on top of the downtown factory states "American Apparel is an Industrial Revolution." As of December 2008, banners on top of the factories state "Legalize LA" and "Immigration Reform Now!"

In addition to participating in a variety of immigration protests, the company launched an advertising and advocacy campaign called "Legalize LA". The campaign featured advertisements in national papers like The New York Times as well as billboards, t-shirts, bus ads and posters. The company also maintains a Legalize LA portion of their website that features news articles relating to immigration reform, the brand and information on the history of the issue.

Legalize Gay
In November 2008 after the passing of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriages in California, American Apparel created "Legalize Gay" (a play on Legalize LA) t-shirts to hand out to protesters at rallies. It is similar to the Legalize LA campaign, and shirts with "Legalize Gay" and "Repeal Prop 8" printed on them in the same style as the shirts of Legalize LA are sold by the company. The reaction was so strong, American Apparel began selling the same shirts at stores and online. On July 20, 2009 the window of an American Apparel store was broken by vandal in response to the campaign. In the next two days, employees at the Silver Spring location as well as the Georgetown store received threatening phone calls, with the perpetrators demanding the t-shirts be taken down. American Apparel asserted the company would not take the t-shirts down and instead, insisted every store in the Washington DC area display a "Legalize Gay" shirt. The company also offered to give the shirts to any gay rights group in DC who wanted one.

The company has also been criticized for carrying BUTT Magazine, a gay culture publication, though American Apparel refuses to discontinue carrying it citing it as an "important gay culture publication" and freedom of expression.

Labor:
As of 2008 the company employs over 10,000 people and operates over 200 retail locations in 18 countries. The company pays its manufacturing employees an average of US$12 per hour. According to the San Francisco Chronicle the average factory worker at the company makes $80–120 per day, or roughly $500 per week compared to the $30–40 made daily at most other Los Angeles-based garment factories. Employees also receive benefits such as paid time off, health care, company-subsidized lunches, bus passes, free English as an additional language classes, on-site massage therapists, free bicycles and on-site bike mechanics, free parking in addition to the proper lighting and ventilation. Every floor of the factory includes free telephones where workers can take and receive long distance phone calls. The company's employees in foreign countries do not receive the same hourly wages as their Los Angeles counterparts. However, employees in China will earn US Federal minimum wage. After going public, the company offered employees as much as $40 million in stock shares. The plan grants employees roughly 1 share of stock for every workday they'd spent at the company. Approximately 4,000 of the company's employees are eligible for the program. In previous years the waiting list for employment at American Apparel has had over 2,000 names on it. The company now however is actively looking for staff following an investigation by US immigration found that 1,500 of its workers lacked the legal immigration documents and were subsequently dismissed.

Immigration issues
As early as 2001, American Apparel has been a vocal advocate for reform of U.S. immigration laws. On May 1, 2002 American Apparel shut down its factory to allow the company's workers, many of whom are immigrants, to participate in a pro-immigration rally in downtown Los Angeles. Dov Charney, a Canadian immigrant, also marched alongside the workers. American Apparel participates annually in the May 1st Immigration March and Rally in downtown Los Angeles. In 2008, they added a route from their factory that eventually connected with other supporters near the city hall. The company's politics were eventually spun off into the Legalize LA advertising campaign.

In 2009, an ICE audit of American Apparel's employment records uncovered discrepancies in the documentation of about 25% of the company's workers, implying mainly that they were illegal immigrants. About 1,500 workers were let go in September of that year as a result. American Apparel responded with questions of the effectiveness of such an action and said "[the firings] will not help the economy, will not make us safer. No matter how we choose to define or label them [illegal immigrants] are hard-working, taxpaying workers.” The ICE audit highlighted a new strategy from President Obama which announced they were shifting away from high profile raids. According to CEO Dov Charney, American Apparel will give priority in hiring to any worker who can get their papers in order.

Environmental policies
The company depends on environmentally friendly practices and is known for its innovations in sustainability due to vertical integration. American Apparel manufacturing system is designed around the concept of "Creative Reuse"—which converts excess fabric from one garment template into several additional garments such as bathing suit tops, belts, headbands, bows, bras, underwear and children's clothing. This otherwise wasted material reduces the amount of fabric the company needs to produce in addition to expanding its product line. According to estimates, it saves about 30,000 pounds of cotton per week.

American Apparel maintains a bicycle lending program for its employees and according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals it is a vegan-friendly clothing company. As of 2007 the company planned to increase its use of organic cotton within the next four years from over 20% to 80%. American Apparel also sells a line of shirts under the "Sustainable" label that are 100% USDA organic cotton. In 2008, American Apparel purchased over 30,000 pounds of organic cotton known as B.A.S.I.C cotton.

American Apparel installed a 146 kilowatt solar electric system on its factory roof, designed to reduce power costs by at least 20%. These panels power as much as 30% of the factory. The company also recycles its fabric scraps.

Philanthropy
In 2005, the company hosted a bikini car wash benefit with the American Red Cross to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In addition, they packaged and delivered 80,000 shirts to the relief effort in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. As an underwriter of Farm Aid, American Apparel donates the blank shirts that the organization prints and sells as merchandise. They also donated more than $400,000 worth of garments to the victims of the Haitian earthquake through Fashion Delivers as well as over 5,000 pairs of socks to the shoe charity Soles4Souls.

More information:
http://www.americanapparel.net/contact/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Apparel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legalize_LA
http://www.americanapparel.net/contact/ourworkers.html