sweatshops, Britney Meteney

When thinking of the fashion industry one main problem comes to mind. This problem is sweatshops.  This problem has only recently really come to the limelight and will continue to be a problem. “The apparel industry has drawn the most attention the press for its use of sweatshop labor.”(Powell)   Sweatshops have been around for a long time but only have recently been brought to the attention of the public. “Sweatshops reentered the public eye in the U.S. in 1995 when two major sweatshop exposés rocked the nation.”(Dosomething.org)  And this problem is not going to be solved anytime soon.  Many questions come to mind when thinking about sweatshops.  What are they exactly?  Where are they located?  What are they really like?  Why use them and who uses them? Plus many more are on the minds of many.

 A sweatshop “is any workplace in which workers are subject to extreme exploitation.  This includes not providing workers with benefits, acceptable working conditions, or a living wage.” (dosomething.org)  Conditions in sweatshops can be very harsh.  And the conditions vary in different sweatshops. “Sweatshop laborers generally work 60-80 hours per week and are not paid enough money to put food on the table; they sometimes receive only pennies a day for their labor. Often, the sweatshop environment is unsafe – workers are harassed, intimidated, forced to work overtime, and made to work in dangerous and unhealthy environments, even while sick. Workers handle toxic chemical paints, solvents, and glues with their bare hands.”(Dosomething.org)  This sounds like a very cruel working environment for anyone.  No one in America would ever think of working under these conditions.  Luckily in America we have labor laws that other countries are not as fortunate to have.

If conditions are so bad why use them?   “In the 1960s and 1970s, when first world corporations began to close their own factories and contract their products from factories overseas, saving money was certainly foremost on their minds.  After all, how can you compare the cost of a product made by an American earning eight dollars an hour with one made by an Indonesian earning twenty cents an hour?  The potential savings were enormous.” (Fung)  This is why sweatshops began.  Companies began to realize that it would be much cheaper to contract work overseas then continue to have factories here in America.  So, they closed their factories and began doing business overseas.  Doing this, the corporations only had one thing in mind, money.  “Sweatshops are a product of the global economy and so-called "free" trade. Companies increase profits by driving down costs any way possible, so they set up low-cost factories. To minimize costs, companies look for places with the lowest wages and human rights protections. Sweatshops can be found all over Central and South America, Asia, and certain regions of Europe.”(Dosomething.org)  Using sweatshops companies are able to make the biggest profit possible.  They are able to make their product for next to nothing and then sell it for a lot more.  In some cases, “to keep labor costs low, apparel shop owners usually pay workers a "piece rate." That means workers don't get paid by the hour. Rather, their wage is based on the number of items—shirts, shoes, socks—they complete in a shift. If workers hope to earn a decent income, they have to work hard, and they have to work long. Basically, they have to sweat.”(Globalexchange.com) Which can mean more stressful hours hard at work for the workers because one piece of garment may take all day to make. “According to the National Labor Committee, a worker in El Salvador earns about 24 cents for each NBA jersey she makes, which then sells for $140 in the US. A Global Exchange investigation revealed that workers in Mexico producing jeans for the Gap earn as little as 28 cents an hour. In poorer countries such as Haiti and Nicaragua, the wages are even lower.”(Globalexchange.com) This gives an example of a worker being paid by the product and per hour.  Both examples show how workers in sweatshops are paid practically nothing.  Also it shows how much greater the companies will sell a product and get a big profit from these sales.  With the example before, the company almost makes a 100% profit by having El Salvador worker make their products because they only need to pay 24 cents per jacket.  And then in Mexico workers only receive 28 cents an hour to make gap jeans.  It is sad to think that wages are even lower in poorer countries.  How can worker be paid less then 24 cents a garment or 28 cents an hour?  If a worker does work 60 to 80 hours a week they are only making what we as Americans can make in three to four hours on minimum wage. 

Companies continue to expect low cost from manufacturing companies.  And in developing countries they do what they can do make sure they keep getting business and keep being able to make some income.  “The largest single source of American imports, China's factories this year are expected to ship goods to the U.S. worth $280 billion. American companies continually demand lower prices from their Chinese suppliers, allowing American consumers to enjoy inexpensive clothes, sneakers, and electronics. But factory managers in China complain in interviews that U.S. price pressure creates a powerful incentive to cheat on labor standards that American companies promote as a badge of responsible capitalism. These standards generally incorporate the official minimum wage, which is set by local or provincial governments and ranges from $45 to $101 a month. American companies also typically say they hew to the government-mandated workweek of 40 to 44 hours, beyond which higher overtime pay is required. These figures can be misleading, however, as the Beijing government has had only limited success in pushing local authorities to enforce Chinese labor laws. That's another reason abuses persist and factory oversight frequently fails.”(Businessweek.com) This explains key reasons for why sweatshops are the way they are.  Companies are the supplier’s way to get money, but companies expect so much from the suppliers, which causes low wages, long hours, and terrible work places.

            Many companies are known for using sweatshops.  And sweatshops have been being used for a long time now.  And only recently it is known of some companies that are guilty for using sweatshops. “The Sweatshop Hall of Shame 2010 highlights apparel and textile companies that use sweatshops in their global production. Hall of Shame inductees are responsible for evading fair labor standards and often are slow to respond or provide no response at all to any attempts by the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF), workers, or others to improve working conditions.”(ILRF)  So this “Hall of Shame” is made to get companies to stop using sweatshops.  But, many still have not changed anything that they have been caught doing. “The official inductees of the 2010 Sweatshop Hall of Shame are: Abercrombie and Fitch, Gymboree, Hanes, Ikea, Kohl’s, LL Bean, Pier 1 Imports, Propper International, and Walmart.  This list also includes an Honorable Mention to the American Apparel and Footwear Association, a national trade association representing apparel and footwear companies.”(ILRF)  Some of these companies are guilty of using sweatshops because they are trying to sell their products for the lowest price possible so they are able to stay ahead of their competitors.  Others are not trying to be cheap but have their products sold for much higher pricing so they are able to make a huge profit, which is greedy on their part.  Also, sadly these companies are not the only offenders.  They are only a few of the many companies that are guilty of using sweatshops.  Some companies have not even been caught yet.   “Many corporations use contract manufacturing firms to produce their goods. By separating themselves from the production of their goods, they can claim that they are not aware, and consequently not responsible, for the conditions under which they are made. The reality, however, is that these companies actually dictate the labor standards of their suppliers. Because corporations demand extremely low prices for merchandise, the manufacturers, with profit in forefront of their minds, cut the wages of their employees and compromise their safety.”(DOsomething.org)  This is the way companies have been able to sneak by without knowledge of their use in sweatshops.

            The most well known company for using sweatshops is Nike.  Nike went unnoticed with their use in sweatshops until the 1990s.  “But by the mid-1990s, this carefully woven strategy started to unravel for the Nikes of the world.  The dirty little secrets of labor conditions in factories making shoes, clothing, and toys for brand-name companies began to hit the media.”(Fung)  Nike was the first to become recognized in their use in sweatshops.  At this time, these work places were not even known as sweatshops.   “Suddenly, the word “sweatshops,” which had disappeared from the U.S. vernacular by the 1950s, was screeching across banner headlines.”(Fung)  The public had no idea.  “Media reports cited Nike workers being hit with shoes, forced to work fourteen hour days, and as reported by Dara O’ Rourke, one of the authors of the Ratcheting Labor Standards strategy described in this book, being poisoned by toxic glues.”(Fung)  Because of Nike the word was now out.  Many companies were doing business overseas and these overseas workplaces were terrible.   Yet, still Nike is a lead sportswear seller, and still getting away with its use in sweatshops.  “In the 1990s, celebrities and students joined to boycott Nike over working conditions, but this had little impact on Nike's long-term brand positioning. There will always be a part of the market that will respond to notice of sweatshops being used... But outside of that small constituency, they are hardly ever affected in the long run.”(Fitch)  So, sadly many companies are not being penalized by the use of sweatshops because they do not see any major decrease in sales and that is what matters most to them.

                       

            A few things are being done in trying to help stop sweatshop use.  One is bringing it to the public eye.  Even though it has not made a big impact yet, it is still the beginning.  Also many are trying to make the work areas have standards.  Just like we have laws for working, they are trying to make the sweatshops better by pushing for work areas.  Also, there is an organization called the International Labor Rights Forum.  This organization is always trying to figure out ways to get rid of these sweatshops.

            Although sweatshops are known as being terrible there are some issues that arise with trying to get ride of them.  For one, most sweatshops are why companies are able to keep their prices at such a low price.  Low labor cost equals lower prices that the consumer has to buy the product at.  Also, how terrible are these places to the actual worker?  “Apparel industry wages are low by U.S. standards, but they compare favorably with the average standard of living in these countries.” (Powell) The US has very high expectations in pretty much anything today.  When it comes to working, there are many rules. “The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) prescribes standards for wages and overtime pay, which affect most private and public employment. The act is administered by the Wage and Hour Division. It requires employers to pay covered employees who are not otherwise exempt at least the federal minimum wage and overtime pay of one-and-one-half-times the regular rate of pay.” “The Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act is administered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Safety and health conditions in most private industries are regulated by OSHA or OSHA-approved state programs, which also cover public sector employers. Employers covered by the OSH Act must comply with the regulations and the safety and health standards promulgated by OSHA.” “The Department of Labor is the sole federal agency that monitors child labor and enforces child labor laws. The most sweeping federal law that restricts the employment and abuse of child workers is the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).” (Dol.gov) In the United States these are only a few laws that have been set.  So it is obvious why Americans expectations are so high. In other countries they are not as fortunate to have these and their expectations are not as high and many do not see there conditions as bad. “Talk to these families in the dump, and a job in a sweatshop is a cherished dream, an escalator out of poverty, the kind of gauzy if probably unrealistic ambition that parents everywhere often have for their children. “I’d love to get a job in a factory,” said Pim Srey Rath, a 19-year-old woman scavenging for plastic. “At least that work is in the shade. Here is where it’s hot.” Another woman, Vath Sam Oeun, hopes her 10-year-old boy, scavenging beside her, grows up to get a factory job, partly because she has seen other children run over by garbage trucks. Her boy has never been to a doctor or a dentist, and last bathed when he was 2, so a sweatshop job by comparison would be far more pleasant and less dangerous.”(Kristof)  So by taking the sweatshops away would be a very bad idea.  Because one, these sweatshops are still jobs and jobs make money.  Yes, many Americans would not even think of working under the conditions that many do, but they are able to because that is how they survive.  Without companies using sweatshops, there would be no way a worker would be able to be paid and be able to survive.  And, yes sweatshops seem terrible but in the countries where these sweatshops are located, many see sweatshops as a dream job.  Because we do not recognize the other jobs that are offered in those countries and those jobs are often a lot worse then sweatshops and many wish to be able to work in one.  Also, their wages that they make would literally buy nothing here.  But, that is here.  Where the workers are from, their wages are able to buy them things.

            So, when talking about sweatshops it is hard to decide what to actually think.  Yes, conditions are bad, but we can not just take these jobs away from the workers.  A future solution should be for the companies to become more involved.  “But companies realized another major advantage by contracting out the work instead of manufacturing themselves: they could divest themselves of the pesky problem of dealing directly with workers.  Gone were the old-fashioned worries of how to keep your workforce union-free or lower your payroll taxes.  No need to haggle with workers over maternity benefits or sick leave.”(Fung)  This is what needs to be fixed.  If companies got more involved with where their products were being manufactured, then things would be different.  Companies should help monitor the sweatshops so the conditions are not so bad.

            Sweatshops are most likely never going to go away.  Yes, it is sad what the workers have to live with and go through but it is how they live.  There are always going to be sweatshops out there because developing countries need jobs.  And in these developing countries these work places that we see as sweatshops to them are dream jobs.  Not only is it a job for them because in developing countries they are always trying to find some kind of work no matter what it is, it is also the way they are able to live.  With out their job they would not make any money.  And some money is better then no money.