Raise Your Voice

"But What Else Can I Do?"

           Some may question whether just not buying products from companies that are known to use sweatshops (factory or field) is really enough to end this practice. There are other ways to protest. Another solution may be campaigning (another activity we tried to promote through my high school's Justice Committee). As an individual, you can contact the companies who do use sweatshops and demand that they stop because it is not okay. Or, if you want to make a bigger impact, make it a school or community-wide campaign. Get your friends, teachers, family, pastors, mentors, and whoever else is interested. to write letters to these companies explaining why sweatshops are not okay and how using them diminishes the dignity of the human person. By raising your voice, you can make a difference in the lives of millions.

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"It's Too Expensive"

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"So, where is all that money you paid going?"

          During high school, I was very involved in the Justice Committee. From my freshman through senior year I played a role in the committee, from organizing and presenting Justice Day each year to helping out with the "Justice Board." Consequently, I have some knowledge about justice issues and people's views on them. One objective I have heard to buying fair trade and fair labor items is that they are more expensive than items that are not. This may be true, but would you rather spend a little more and know that that money is going directly to producers/workers/farmers, or pay less and have no idea where your money is going? I vote for the first. But for those who do not wish the spend the extra money for more independent, alternative brands and products, I propose trying to seek out companies that maybe do not use sweatshops as much as the others. H&M, the popular clothing store, does not use sweatshops and others, such as Target, are trying to reduce their sweatshop usage. The point is to avoid stores that are notorious for sweatshops. We need to make businesses aware from these stores so that they get the message that exploitation is not okay!!

Fair Trade and Fair Labor: The Fair Solution

          Fair Trade and Fair Labor: the fair solution to sweatshops. Sweatshops, whether they are in factories or in fields, exploit workers, whether they are men, women, or young children. A solution: buy Fair Trade products and shop from stores that members of the Fair Labor Association. Fair Trade products, in order to  be Fair Trade ceritified must meet the following criteria: "fair prices to producers; fair wages to laborers; democratically run producer cooperatives or workplaces; safe, non-exploitative working conditions, public accountability" (Jaffee, Kloppenburg, & Monroy 174) as stated in an academic journal I found on the EBSCOHost library database. These criteria ensure that workers have good working conditions and receive fair wages. Fair Trade cooperative (farmers unions) are sometimes even able to fund the building of schools and healthcare facilties through the profits they receive (kuapakokoo.com). The Fair Labor Associaton (FLA), founded in 1999, aims to bring together responsible colleges, universities, and companies in the crusade against sweatshops. Companies who are members of the FLA achieve FLA standards in the factories that manufacture their products. Colleges and universities that are members of the FLA must make sure that the licensees supplying their licensed produts either get or make their products in factories where workers' rights are not violated or exploited in any way (http://www.fairlabor.org/).  So, whether you purchase Fair Trade of Fair Labor products, you can rest assured that these items did not come from sweatshops of any kind!!!

          Some may ask how buying these products is a solution to sweatshops or how it is possible amd/or realistic. First of all, buying these products ensures that the producers/workers/laborers have been treated fairly and paid fairly. Buying these products will also take away business from companies that use sweatshops. By buying these products and taking away business from companies that exploit and by and raising awareness by example and by spreading the word, perhaps those companies will realize that it is not okay to exploit their workers. Secondly, buying these products is realistic because they are on the rise, especially those that are Fair Trade-certified. In the past ten years, the United States has gone from importing 2 million pounds of Fair Trade-ceritied coffee to importing 110 million pounds (Smith) !!! Thirdly, this solution is possible because many places carry these products. Big companies, like Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts use fair trade products!! Large retailers, such as Costco and Whole Foods, are now carrying a larger selection of Fair Trade-certified products (Smith)!! Even better, the Caldwell College bookstore is a member of the Fair Labor Association!! YAY!!! That means you can shop with "cougar pride" !!!! Other Fair-Trade-certified products, like Divine Chocolate, are available in Whole Foods.  Why not shop fair trade and fair labor for Christmas and know that the gifts you are giving are bringing joy to EVERYONE!!!

For more information on Fair Trade-certified prodcuts like Divine Chocolate, fair labor products, and sweatshop-free clothing companies, visit the following websites:
www.divinechocolate.com/
www.mirembekawomera.com/
www.nosweatapparel.com/
americanapparel.net/
www.newdream.org
www.greenamerica.org/pubs/realmoney/articles/nosweatshops.cfm
www.fairlabor.org

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Fair Trade

Sweatshops: They're In the Fields Too

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Sweatshops: They're in the Fields Too

          Sweatshops do not necessarily have to occur within factories that produce items such as sneakers. Sweatshop labor can also be found in the fields, the fields where people, often children, toil to produce items, such as cocoa beans, that are used to produce a favorite treat for many: chocolate. These sweatshop situations occur with other products, such as pineapples and cotton, but I think just about everyone enjoys chocolate, at least until you know where it comes from. Cocoa beans are the primary ingredient in chocolate, and are therefore in high demand. Consequently, people are employed as slaves to harvest the beans that make up the treat that many of us indulge ourselves in frequently  (http://www.laborrights.org/) .
          The Ivory Coast, the western coast of Africa, accounts for more than 40% of the global production of cocoa beans, making it the leading supplier of cocoa beans. Since the price for cocoa is low, the producers and farmers hire those who work for low pay: children. It is estimated, by the U.S. Department of State, that more than 109,000 children work on the Ivory Coast under the most extreme forms of child labor. These children toil for hours upon hours each day. They are often exposed to harsh pesticides and frequent and cruel beatings and other punishments. These children, because they are toiling harvesting all day, are unable to receive an education. Since many of these laborers are children, these "sweatshops in the fields" also promote child slavery (http://www.laborrights.org/). Can you see the parallels between factory and field sweatshops?

Sweatshops: They're Everywhere

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Sweatshops: They're Everywhere

Sweatshops do not exist only overseas, in foreign countries, as many might think. They even exist right here in the United States of America. The most famous example of a sweatshop in the United States is the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, a sweatshop that existed in the early 1900s in New York City. Many have probably learned about the factory in school, like I did in my American history classes. The factory was the working place for hundreds of women. These women worked long hours, received meager pay for their work, and were actually locked in the factory, so they would get more work done and not be tempted to leave. Disaster struck on Saturday, March 25, 1911. A small fire started in a cutting room (it was a garment factory) on the eighth floor. The fire quickly spread, and the hundreds of women frantically tried to escape. However, the exit doors were locked, and the one fire escape in the building had collapsed. As a result, many jumped to their deaths. 147 women and girls as young as age 15 died that day ("City Life at the Turn of the 20th Century").
          Sweatshops exist even today, even in America. In 1995, two major sweatshops were discovered right here in at home. In Los Angeles, 80 Thai immigrants were found to be working in a sweatshop. These workers were sewing brand-name garments to be sold at major stores but were only being paid a meager $2.00 an hour. These workers were being kept in a complex behind razor wire and with armed guards!!! The second sweatshop was one run by Wal-Mart. Workers, some girls as young as 13, were discovered sewing garments for a popular line of clothing for the national superstore. The girls worked 5 days a week, 13.5 hours a day (from 7:30am to 9:00pm). When rush orders started coming in for the clothing line, the workers were forced to work overtime and the children workers were not allowed to go to night school. Therefore, they were not able to finish their elementary school educations. Since the discovery of these two sweatshops, other U.S. companies, such as Nike and Gap, have come under fire for also using sweatshop labor to produce their goods (dosomething.org) , as can be seen in the video about Nike that I posted.
            Studies conducted discovered an overwhelmingly high percentage of garments factories in New York and Los Angeles (63% in NY & 67% in LA), actually violate law on overtime and minimum wage. The studies also revealed more shocking conditions: 98% of the garment factories in Los Angeles violated the standards for health and safety in the workplace by having blocked fire exits, poor ventilation, and unsanitary bathrooms. The term “sweatshop” can be applied to over 50% of these garment factories. The following U.S. retailers have been linked to sweatshops: Nike, Disney, Reebok, Phillips Van Heusen, the Gap, Liz Claiborne, Ralph Lauren, Wal-Mart, JCPenney, Sears, The May Company (the owner and operator of Lord & Taylor, Hecht’s, Filene’s, and others), Federated Department (owner and operator of Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Burdine’s, Stern’s, and others) and the worst, Guess? Clothing Co. Guess? Clothing Co.’s contractors have been cited so many times for sweatshop violations that the company is suspended from the Department of Labor’s list of “good guys” (doseomthing.org)
          Any thoughts? Did anyone realize sweatshops still existed? Do you agree with sweatshop labor, disagree? Do you shop at any of these stores or buy and of these brands? I know I do.

Who are They?

         Some may wonder, "Who are these sweatshop workers?" that I keep referring too. Well, they are women, men, and children who are exploited so that people, including you and me, can have things such as clothes and sneakers. Children are often employed in sweatshops. Can you guess why?  This is done because children can be paid less and do not complain about working conditions as often as adults. Many children have to work to help support their families, and therefore do not even have the chance to receive an education (dosomething.org).
          Women also make a large percentage of sweatshop workers. It is estimated that 85% of sweatshops workers are women. These women are often young, between the ages of 15 and 25. In Mexico and Central America, women in some sweatshops are required to take shots. The women must take these shots, or they risk being fired. What do you think these shots are for?  Birth control. This is done so that the companies do not have to pay maternity leave to the women workers. If pregnancy occurs, the woman may risk being fired (dosomething.org)

What are Sweatshops?

        There is not really a set definition for what a sweatshop is. Instead, a sweatshop is considered any workplace that does not do the following: provide safe working conditions, provide workers with benefits, or provide workers with living wages (wages that, unlike minimum wages, are substantial enough so that the worker can afford basic necessities and healthcare). Basically, any workplace that exploits its workers in an extreme manner can be labeled as a sweatshop.
         In sweatshops, workers labor for about 60-80 hours a week and are not paid salaries that can afford them basic things, such as food. In sweatshops, workers are often harassed and forced to work overtime. They work in unsafe conditions, and, in some situations, have to deal with materials such as solvents, toxic chemical paints, and glues with their bare hands (dosomething.org).
        Hard to believe, right?

Nike Sweatshops - Never say Never----A Look Inside the World of Sweatshops

Christmas Gifts: Do They Really Bring Joy to Everyone? ctd...

It is amazing and appalling how so many workers, both here in the United States and globally are mistreated and cheated out of the salary they deserve. Sometimes it is hard for us, the consumers, to see the face on the other end. This is a result of ignorance, whether we chose to ignore the fact that many goods come from sweatshops or places where workers are exploited, or whether we do not know because this fact is rarely publicized or reported. No matter what the reason, the problem is ubiquitous.

Christmas Gifts: Do They Really Bring Joy to Everyone?

The Christmas Season is fast upon us and with this comes the tradition of gift giving. We purchase all kinds of gifts for all each other.These gifts range from expensive things such as the newest Louis Vuitton purse or the lastest electronic gadget, like the iPad, to the simplest things like a bar of chocolate. Although these gifts may bring joy to the person receiving the gift, is the feeling mutual? Is this gift bringing joy the person who made the gift? The newest Louis Vuitton purse may bring a smile to the face of a girl who is an avid pruse collector, but is the person(s) who made the purse getting joy out of toiling for long hours in a factory or sweatshop, receiving a meager salary to support their family? 

Welcome!

Hi and welcome to my blog! There are lots of things going on in the world, especially during this busy holiday season. Let's talk about them!!