Dear friends,
MSN is pleased to announce the publication of a new version of our research tools, Companies and their Brands: Holding companies accountable in an opaque industry. Previous versions have been used by trade unions and labour rights organizations to identify companies sourcing from garment factories in their countries, as well as leverage points for developing strategies to engage with or campaign against brands.
This 2026 version includes a special section highlighting two recent trends in the global garment industry and their potential negative impacts on freedom of association and corporate accountability efforts.
Factory closures in Central America have presented major setbacks for workers and the union movement, particularly in Honduras and El Salvador, where many of the factories were unionized or had a strong union presence. A number of those facilities were wholly-owned by major North American manufacturers like Hanesbrands and Fruit of the Loom.
A second disturbing trend profiled in that section is the expansion of private-equity controlled brand management companies like Authentic Brands Group that are much less transparent about where and under what conditions their branded products are made, requiring new research and strategies for engagement and/or campaigning.
In the last two years, Authentic Brands Group has acquired rights to high profile brands such as Champion (previously owned by Hanesbrands), Dockers (previously a Levi’s brand) and Guess.
Over this coming year, MSN will be coordinating training efforts with our labour allies in Mexico and Central America on when and how to engage with brands, drawing from these resources.
The MSN team | 
