The company, which often is criticized for its low-paying jobs and buying habits in the U.S., recently has faced allegations that it made bribes in Mexico and calls for better safety oversight after a deadly fire at a Bangladesh factory that supplies its clothes.
Even more remarkable, half the workers don't even work directly for GEMA. They're employed by some 18 contractors doing noncore jobs once jealously guarded by the UAW, like moving supplies, maintaining equipment or cleaning the factory.