Sweatshop History and Law

In the 1900s, workers formed the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) to organize against low wages and dangerous working conditions. Their first strike was known as "The Great Revolt." 60,000 New York City garment workers took the streets to fight for their rights. Women and children protesting were beaten or targeted with guns. Children? WHY would you beat a child? Why would you beat anyone because they are fighting for their rights? They are abused, payed low wages, work in life threatening conditions and put a gun is put in their face. This doesn't make me excited to join the work force. Despite the threats, they won wage and hour standards. Their fight was strengthened after the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. President Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act. This law sets a minimum wage, requires overtime pay after 40 hours a week, and prohibits child labor.

However Sweatshops are in full force because companies have moved overseas. Sweatshops are still in New York hiding in the same building as the past. It is estimated that 4,500 of New York City's 7,000 garment factories are sweatshops.

http://www.heartsandminds.org/articles/sweat.htm

Shop with a conscience

Sweatfree.org encourages consumers to shop with a conscience because you may never know what work went into that $85 shirt you're wearing. It also provides a list of websites with sweat free products. Justiceclothing.com provides a wide-range of sweatshop-free clothing. This site provides union-made clothing. Autonomieproject.com sells is a Fair Trade fashion and footwear company. Their products are economically friendly. There are sites for, sports equipment, coats, footwear, men, women and baby clothes.

They expects Healthy and safe working conditions, Wages and benefits decent enough to lift workers' families out of poverty. It's interesting that on the other end of the spectrum, this is the exact same goal. Pro-Sweatshop activists argue that keeping sweatshops will help the economy and lift people pit of poverty. I wonder which act is more effective? Just like the WRC, they believe in fair treatment and respect for workers. They also want retailers and their suppliers to be responsible for ensuring decent working conditions.

I had no knowledge that their are website out there that sell sweatshop free clothes. It sounds like a great idea, but I can't help but be paranoid and skeptical. Are there independent investigators at the factories all the time and do they know for sure that nothing shady is going on?

http://www.sweatfree.org/shopping

Disney: Squeaky Clean

The media was in a frenzy when word go out that TV host Kathy Lee Gifford's clothing line was made in sweatshops where workers either never got paid or received pennies for their sixty hour per week job. What many don't realize or seem to ignore according to an article entitled "Kathy Lee, Disney, and the Sweatshop Uproar" by Norman Solomon is that the clothing line and ABC which airs "Live with Regis and Kathy Lee," is owned by Disney. While the press tore into Gifford, Disney remained Squeaky clean and remains that way. Gifford was vocal about her innocence,"I felt like I was being of all people, being kicked in the teeth for trying to help kids." After that many charities with her name attached came to life. However, a few days later, word broke out that the garment workers a few blocks away from ABC studios worked for sixty hours with no pay. Gifford's husband was on the case, rushing to the factory and handing out three hundred dollars. Since then Gifford had announced that all factories producing her clothes will be inspected. Throughout this whole mess and I'm pretty sure Kathy Lee never bounced back from this, Disney managed to stay clean. Long story short? Disney owns EVERYTHING.

http://www.albionmonitor.net/sweatshop/ss-solomon.html

Plantation, Supermarkets, and Sweatshops oh my

Workers on plantations face long hours, terrible working conditions and most like little or no rights. Once again, Tesco is mentioned in this article. This company lives for low prices which results in a nightmare for workers. Working eighty hours a week still isn't enough for a livable wage. Export Processing Zones are industrial areas as a result free trade zones being put up all over the globe. Most of the time minimum wage is suspended, safety is ignored and union are illegal. It's bad enough being a slave worker but they really crush hopes by not allowing unions. Then again, in many countries where union organizations are allowed, it has done nothing for them. With very little job safety, no medical services or maternity leave, women are most vulnerable to violence and sexual harassment. 80% of workers are women and face discrimination because of it.

http://www.waronwant.org/campaigns/supermarkets
http://www.waronwant.org/overseas-work/sweatshops-and-plantations

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

Those four words may ring a bell. They changed the life of workers forever. This fire happened in New York City on March 25, 1911 and killed 146 garment workers. These workers either died in the fire or jumped to their death. 146 workers. The number is staggering. The company owned by Max Blanck and Isaac Harris employed 600 workers, mostly young immigrant women from Germany, Italy, and Eastern Europe. The fire began on the eighth floor by a lit match or possible sewing machines. To this day, no one is entirely sure. The ninth floor had only two doors that lead outside. One stairwell was already filled with smoke and flames by the time the garment workers realized what was happening. The only fire escape quickly collapsed.

Sixty women jumped out of windows and died. Others opened the elevators and plunged to their death. Those who didn't try to escape died by the fire and seven 'survivors' died at the hospital.

The owners were put on trial but later acquitted. Not with out paying $75 per deceased victim. Does this make up for the 146 deaths? In my opinion absolutely not. The American Society of Safety Engineers was founded soon thereafter. Is that all humans are worth? Am I worth merely 75$?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire

Fashion Victims

Fashion Victims indeed and of an entirely different kind. Bangladeshi garment workers face forced overtime, eight hour weeks and horrible working conditions every day. The garment making business is vital in Bangladesh. Two million work in this industry and is responsible for 75% of Bangladesh's exports. Retailers deny knowledge much less involvement when the process of making their products is discovered. However when they demand lower prices from factory owners, the first thing to get cut is labor costs. Much like education being the first to be attacked when budget cuts arrive.

On a happier note they have gotten a little attention. That is when factories are on fire, resulting in many injuries and deaths. Events like this helped raise the workers wages but still falls short to what they really need. The National Garment Workers Federation led strikes but as long as retailers like Asda, Primark and Tesco demand lower prices, these workers still need help.

http://www.waronwant.org/campaigns/supermarkets/fashion-victims/inform/13593-fashion-victims

Child Labor

The International Labor Organization estimates that 250 million children between the ages of five and fourteen work in developing countries. 61% of those children in Asia, 32% in Africa and 7% in Latin America. These children are severely beaten, denied education and most likely scarred for life. Perhaps with hopes of ever being able to escape. Most athletic shoes are made in sweatshops in Asian countries and the factories are filled with children. Other products made with the use of child labor include Toys, Rugs, Chocolate, Bananas, and Coffee. It makes you hesitate taking sip of that coffee. Bananas? Who knew? Even I'm shocked. Toys? That is even worse. Something children are supposed to enjoy becomes something made with forced labor. These children really are denied a normal childhood.

Vegan.com wants to end Sweatshops. How do they hope to do so? By making companies disclose the treatment and pay of workers and how and where products were made. There also needs to be independent monitoring maybe that of the WRC. Also when violations are discovered, the workers need to be protected.


http://www.veganpeace.com/sweatshops/sweatshops_and_child_labor.htm