Source: Levenstein, C., MacDonald, L., Moure-Eraso, R., Punnett, L., & Wilcox, M. (1997). Back to the future: Sweatshop conditions on the Mexico-U.S. border. II. Occupational health impact of maquiladora industrial activity. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9099362

For my second source, I went with something more to date. An article (peer-reviewed, also given with full text) that was published in 2014. It begins by defining what a sweatshops is and why they are, in fact, exploiting workers. “Sweatshop is a common term used to refer to factories that typically produce apparel; that have very low wages by modern U.S. standards, long working hours, and unsafe or unhealthy working conditions; that often don't obey labor laws; and that would generally be considered unpleasant places to work by most citizens in wealthy countries” (Powell, 2014, p. 109). It is important to note that they do not obey labor laws as this allows them exploit their workers, it also helps explain why companies seek out less-developed nations with lax taxes and laws. “Weave rooms were hazardous work environments. Life threatening accidents and long term health disabilities were common by-products of employment in the textile mills. Cotton dust caused lung and respiratory diseases. The noise was deafening and impaired hearing. The lighting was poor, the hours long, the work tedious, and the machinery and belting dangerous” (Powell, 2014, p. 113). From the time span of 1997 to 2014, the working conditions are still on-going and hazardous. This demonstrates to the group that the problem still exists, as well as there is a clear problem at hand. It goes on to give definitions and examples of how sweatshops exploit workers, providing context for readers and viewers. 

Source: POWELL, B. (2014). Meet the Old Sweatshops. Independent Review, 19(1), 109-122.

Source: Reebok and the Global Footwear Sweatshop, Author: Bernard D’Mello. Retrieved from GVSU Library. 

The second article I looked discusses whether sweatshops are bad for Third World Workers. The article sets the stage by discusses the earlier anti-sweatshop movement and how some labor changes, mostly in the United States, improved, while some coalitions, such as the National Labor Committee pushed for international labor standard increases. The article publishes some appalling numbers; the hourly wage, in U.S Dollars, of apparel workers. What I thought was interesting was the “Economics of the Sweatshop” section, of which it discusses potential explanations for why the wages are so low; one being worker productivity doesn’t warrant higher wages. The data and graphs contained in this article are all valid and while somewhat outdated, may not have changed much. We could always look for recently published data, but the statistics would be good when strengthening our argument and discussing the problem. 

Source: Are “Sweatshops” Bad for Third World Workers? Authors: Benjamin Powell and David Skarbek. Retrieved from Google Scholar.

For my research, I wanted to define what sweatshops are and find some backing evidence that shows how horrendous the working conditions are. My first source comes from an organization called Green America. They are an organization that focuses on fair labor, social justice, improving the Earth’s environment, and more. They wrote an article answering the most asked questions about sweatshops. One of the questions asked, “What is a sweatshop and how bad is the problem?” The organization answered this question by stating:   

“The US Department of Labor defines a sweatshop as any factory that violates two or more labor laws, such as those pertaining to wages and benefits, working hours, and child labor. Anti-sweatshop advocates go further to say that beyond following the letter of the law (which can be very weak in many countries that attract sweatshops), a factory must pay a living wage in safe working conditions, enforce reasonable work hours, provide for sick leave and maternity leave, and allow workers to organize to avoid being labeled a sweatshop.”

Source: 

FAQs about the Sweatshop Problem. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.greenamerica.org/choose-fair-labor/tell-samsung/what-you-need-know-about-sweatshops

The second article I chose was just an example of how terrible the working conditions are. The article was published by an organization called War on Want. The organization’s mission statement says, “War on Want fights against the root causes of poverty and human rights violation, as part of the worldwide movement for global justice.” The quoted text below describes some of the conditions in Bangladesh sweatshops:

“The majority of garment workers in Bangladesh earn little more than the minimum wage, set at 3,000 taka a month (approximately £25), far below what is considered a living wage, calculated at 5,000 taka a month (approximately £45), which would be the minimum required to provide a family with shelter, food and education.

 

As well as earning a pittance, Bangladeshi factory workers face appalling conditions. Many are forced to work 14-16 hours a day seven days a week, with some workers finishing at 3am only to start again the same morning at 7.30am. On top of this, workers face unsafe, cramped and hazardous conditions which often lead to work injuries and factory fires. Since 1990, more than 400 workers have died and several thousand more have been wounded in 50 major factory fires. Sexual harassment and discrimination is widespread and many women workers have reported that the right to maternity leave is not upheld by employers. Factory management also take steps to prevent the formation of trade unions, a right protected under the Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining ILO Conventions, which Bangladesh ratified in 1972.”

Source:
Sweatshops in Bangladesh. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://waronwant.org/sweatshops-bangladesh

The second webpage may also be useful later. There are some facts on the page that show what is being done to improve the working conditions and rights of sweatshop employees. 

 

 

This article was written by two professor’s that study anthropology. The article talks about the fire in the Tazreen Fashions factory in Bangladesh that killed at least 112 workers and the collapse of the Rana Plaza building just five months after that killed 1,134 garment workers and injured hundreds of survivors. It mentions that a safety pact was signed in Bangladesh after the fire by many global unions and more than 200 brands which tried to increase building inspections and the liability of the companies who garments are being made there. But five years later, and the pact did not seem to help at all. Also, there are many other factors to consider besides just unsafe building structures like smoke inhalation, chemical exposure, electrical exposure, musculoskeletal pain, stress, long hours, discrimination, and sexual harassment. This is important because even after a pact was made, incidents are still occurring and working conditions are still bad. More needs to be done than just making a pact with a few corporations, regulations need to be made on a global scale. Companies may pretend to do something about the exploitation of workers, but nothing seems to be changed years after the incidents. 

 

"11 Facts About Sweatshops." Do Something, www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-sweatshops. Accessed 19 Sept. 2018. 

Another popular research source I found included many facts and statistics about sweatshops which included sources to which they got their facts. The most surprising facts I found was a study showed that doubling the salary of sweatshop workers would only increase the consumer cost of an item by 1.8%, while consumers would be willing to pay 15% more to know a product did not come from a sweatshop. Other important statistics I found were were an estimated 168 million children ages 5-14 are forced to work and because women make up 85 to 90% of sweatshop workers, some employers force them to take birth control and routine pregnancy tests to avoid supporting maternity leave or providing appropriate health benefits. I think these statistics are important because it shows just how bad the working conditions can get. It also proves that bettering working conditions for people in third world countries would barely increase the price of goods in the U.S. which makes it more of a reason to fight against sweat shops. 

Williams, M. S. (2016). Strategic innovation in US anti-sweatshop movement. Social Movement Studies, 15(3), 277–289. https://doi-org.ezproxy.gvsu.edu/10.1080/14742837.2015.1082466

 This source that I found examines the anti-sweatshop campaigns and the cross boarder activism between Hong Kong and mainland China. It examines how non-governmental agencies, student groups, and workers promote activism in Hong Kong and mainland China. The study demonstrates how these anti-sweatshop movements have mobilized the civil society. The groups used to protest around marketplaces, but they have now moved to productions sites, moving domestic actors from the margins into the center of the activism movement. Not only do the groups in Hong Kong and mainland China fight for rights in their respective geographical locations, they are working across the Hong Kong-Chinese boarder to integrate strengths and new tactics. The group also coordinates with overseas activists, hoping to bring relations between domestic and overseas activists into greater power. I chose this source because my first source outlines two organizations that operate from our own backyard on a local and national scale, yet, this source is around the globe in China. It demonstrates that other students from a global perspective feel the same way and are doing something about it. 

Yi Xu, & Chris King-Chi Chan. (2018). Conductive Activism: Anti-Sweatshop Campaigns across Hong Kong and Mainland China. Journal of Contemporary Asia, 48(1), 88–112. https://doi-org.ezproxy.gvsu.edu/10.1080/00472336.2017.1359651

Many consumers try to avoid information about sweatshops altogether, so that their buying decision is a completely blind process. Those that may have no choice other to consider such, were found to justify sweatshop labor while considering purchasing a desirable pair of jeans, versus jeans that were undesirable. When consumer levels of motivation are high, they are statistically more likely to endorse sweatshop labor conditions with their purchases. 

Furthermore, this journal includes a study done to identify buying behavior when sweatshops are introduced as a buying factor to consider. This could be useful down the road in constructing our website.

(Paharia, Vohs, & Deshpande, 2013)

The first source I found discusses the relationship between anti-sweat shop organizations and the conglomerations they assemble against, such as Nike. Trade Unions and NGOs have a loose organization that does a great job about raising awareness on their causes and missions, as well as organizing protests against companies. However, the loose structure also means they have been unable to offer larger corporations adequate incentives to respond in a positive manner to their proposals for labor condition improvements. 

The article lists trade unions as strong actors in sweat shop movements including the International Trade Secretariat, International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation, and smaller unaffiliated unions that exist in industrializing nations. Th article also goes on to describe how these organizations interact with large corporations, as well as to raise awareness. The biggest argument is they exist, yet haven’t made any actual substantial leeway in drastically improving labor conditions.

(Connor, 2004)

 

Connor, T. (2004). Time to Scale up Cooperation? Trade Unions, NGOs, and the International Anti-Sweatshop Movement. Development in Practice, 61-70.

Paharia, N., Vohs, K. D., & Deshpande, R. (2013). Sweatshop labor is wrong unless the shoes are cute: Cognition can both help and hurt motivated reasoning. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 81-88.

 

 

 

Labour Behind the Label. (2001). Labour Behind the Label. Retrieved from 

            http://labourbehindthelabel.org

 

Another group I found against sweat shops is the Fair Labor Association. Their mission statement is “to combine the efforts of business, civil society organizations, and colleges and universities to promote and protect workers’ rights and to improve working conditions globally through adherence to international standards.” They are partnered with Adidas and many colleges like Arizona State University, Angelo State University, and Boston University. They are apart of a couple projects like Jo-In Project, PREPARE Project, WAGES of Inequality, and Task and Labor Risk Mapping. They have a 19- member Board of Directors with the head chair member being Michael Posner.

 

Fair Labor Association. (1999). Improving Workers Lives Worldwide. Retrieved from 

            http://www.fairlabor.org

 

Jobs with Justice is an organization founded in 1987. They have launched many 

campaigns like Caring Across Generations, Change Walmart, Change the Economy, United Workers Congress, Debt-Free Future, and Protecting Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation. They also educate and mobile workers, support unemployed Americans, and have won state-level legislation. Their two co-executive directors are Sarita Gupta and Erica Smiley and they also have many other staff members. Their three projects include Labor Research Action Network, National Workers Rights Board, and Student Labor Action Project. 

 

Job with Justice. (1987). Jobs with Justice. Retrieved from http://www.jwj.org/

 

 

Dirnbach, E. (2001, January 28). Global Sweatshops, Solidarity and the Bangladesh Breakthrough. Retrieved from http://www.publicseminar.org/2016/01/global-sweatshops-solidarity-and-the-bangladesh-breakthrough/

2) This source also covers the vision of our movement, primarily from a group we have looked at concretely, United Students against Sweatshops. Their mission is a campaign of solidarity, while working to “build sustainable power for working people.” They believe in fighting oppression while maintaining collective liberation with others and also fighting for better working and living conditions. 

USAS: Organizing for Student and Worker Power. (n.d.). In Mission, Vision, and Organizing Philosophy. Retrieved from URL http://usas.org/about/mission-vision-organizing/

3) This source, in part, talks about the pressure non-compliant industries and organizations are subjected to by activists. Since the 1980s, activists have put pressure on apparel companies in hopes of ending sweatshop labor practices. Efforts by the USAS were successful after multiple universities refused to renew their contracts with Nike and this is just one of the successes in achieving their goals. This source found that 80% of the studied companies were found non-compliant with adjusting to the wishes of the activists, but the 20% is the part we are going to focus on. Companies who were compliant found a study increase in annual purchasing as they were producing better quality products and delivering them on time. However, some conditions overseas have slowly improved conditions in response to the vocal anti-sweatshop movement. Although these improvements have been sporadic, labor advocates think it may be the beginning to more improvement on a larger scale. 

Linke, R. (2018, January 29). Factories get more business when they treat workers right. Retrieved from https://phys.org/news/2018-01-factories-business-workers.html 

 

Greenhouse, S. (2009, November 18). Labor fight ends in win for students. The New York Times, pp. B1.

 

 

Another article I found talked about The Fair Labor Association accrediting three companies. The article states "to earn accreditation, a company's commitment to social responsibility must always include implementation of a robust, on-the ground program to assess and improve working conditions in the factories from which they source." This means that these three companies have programs that are currently being used to improve working conditions. Adidas and Patagonia got reaccredited due to their push for greater accountability, high workplace standards, improve workplace conditions, and their work towards fair compensation of workers. The company Outerknown got accredited for its social compliance program and by setting a new standard by organizing their structure and culture around FLA’s principles.

 

Cashen, Jill. (2017, October 19). Fair Labor Association Announces Accreditation of Three Social Compliance Programs: Adidas, Patagonia Achieve Reaccreditation; First-time Accreditation for Outerknown. PR Newswire. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.gvsu.edu/docview/1952534254?pq-origsite=summon

(Reuters, 2017)

 

United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) has been protesting Nike for a long time. They protest alleged conditions that include mass fainting, wage theft, and padlocked exits at factories. In the 90s, Nike strived to reform their labor practices after massive protests against their company, but USAS says they have begun slipping recently in their labor practices. Workers Rights Consortium got access into the Hansae, Vietnam Nike Factory to inspect it. They were able to document labor abuses such as limiting restroom breaks, exposure to chemicals, and no access to emergency exits. This shed light to the public on the labor conditions. Furthermore, USAS has been impactful when protesting Nike as their college market segment is huge. Nike has responded to these mass protests, like in 2010, when they paid $1.54 million to help 1,800 workers in Honduras.

(Segran, 2017)

Reuters. (2017, November 15). Adidas Leads Way as 4 Companies Win 'Stop Slavery' Award. Retrieved from VOA News: https://www.voanews.com/a/adidas-leads-way-as-four-companies-win-stop-slavery-award-/4117648.html

Segran, E. (2017, July 28). Escalating Sweatshop Protests Keep Nike Sweating. Retrieved from Fast Company: https://www.fastcompany.com/40444836/escalating-sweatshop-protests-keep-nike-sweating

This journal examines the Bangaldesh Accord to determine if it is an "international agreement breakthrough". Regardless of whether or not this is the case, the Bangaldesh Accord is still a huge victory for the anti-sweatshop movement. The Bangladesh Accord is a historical achievement to improve worker's safety and working conditions. The journal concludes that the Accord is indeed a breakthrough, because it was a legally binding international and national agreement, the government supported it, and because it empowered workers.

Rahman, M. Z. (2014). Accord on "fire and building safety in bangladesh": A breakthrough agreement? Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies, 4(1), 69-74. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.gvsu.edu/docview/1702200784?accountid=39473

(Bartley & Child, 2011)

This source talks about the different ways that activist groups draw out more followers and raise awareness. Often, NGOs and human rights groups work with limited budgets or funds, so they must get creative with their approaches. The internet is integral to their success and achievements, as it is a very cheap (and often, free) way to disseminate information and organize meetings or protests. The internet provides a place to communicate with group members, or other groups, in an efficient and quick manner. Students are one of the vital players in the anti-sweatshop movement. Student age demographic means we utilize the internet more often, and in more unique ways, than virtually any other demographic. NGOs and activist groups use the internet to host virtual training sessions or activist-resources that include “online handbooks, activism guides, chants, discussion groups, and information” on starting new chapters. For example, NGO ‘Global Exchange’ uses the internet for activists that want to start campaigning for change. Their website has an exclusive section that targets Nike, on this part of the site, you can find a Campaign starter kit that includes petitions, anti-sweatshop resolutions, and sample letters to send to Nike and/or start groups. It encourages students to start campaigns against Nike by starting on their college campuses and inquiring about any contracts Nike has with their athletic department or bookstore, and then encouraging student government and university officials to reject/end contracts to support the anti-sweatshop movement. Additionally, many groups, such as the Independent Media Center seek to provide real news reporting that is unbiased, and often not presented on the normal national news channels. Activists can seek out information/reporting on things such as protest events.

(Carty, 2002)

 

Bartley, T., & Child, C. (2011). Movements, Markets and Fields: The Effects of Anti-Sweatshop Campaigns on U.S Firms 1993-2000. Social Forces, 425-451.

Carty, V. (2002). Technology and Counter-hegemonic Movements: the case of Nike Corporation. Social Movement Studies, 129-146.

 

Esbenshade, J. (2008). Going up against the global economy: New developments in the anti-

sweatshops movement. Critical Sociology, 34(3), 453-470. Retrieved from 

http://journals.sagepub.com.ezproxy.gvsu.edu/doi/pdf/10.1177/0896920507088168

 

The next article I found talks about the Clean Clothes Campaign. The CCC strategies mostly consist of public campaigns, articles, rallies, demonstrations, and the use of social media. They also talk in conferences and participate in events. They talked in a conference in Turkey which ended up bringing in 230 participants. Their biggest and most known campaign is “Play Fair at the Olympics”. Following this success, CCC created the Programme of Work which advocated freedom of association. This got recognized by Puma, Adidas, and Reebok.

 

Wawrzyniak, T. (2017). Corporate social responsibility in the garment industry. The case of the 

Clean Clothes Campaign and developing states. International Economics, 18, 79-91. doi: 

10.18778/2082-4440.18.02