Grace Hunter
Mrs. Scheuerman
Emerging Technology
9 February 2015
A Closer Look at Sweatshops
Sweatshops are work environments that have three major characteristics—long hours,
low pay, and unhealthy working conditions. Sweatshops may also have rules that restrict workers ' freedoms, including limiting bathroom breaks and even conversations with fellow workers. At its worst, violence is used against sweatshop workers. Sweatshops have been a factor in the production of goods around the world for centuries, but the globalization of business has led increasing numbers of major corporations to take advantage of lowcost sweatshop labor in developing countries. Too many companies take advantage of cheap labor. To solve this problem, sweatshops need to be eliminated from society.
Sweatshops still exist in the U.S. and in today 's global economy; they are especially
popular in foreign countries. Sweatshops continue to exist in the clothing industry as well as in industries that manufacture shoes, toys, electronics and other consumer goods. Workers in sweatshops are forbidden to speak out about their condition and are prevented from forming labor unions. Child workers are denied an education, which eliminates an entire generation from learning basic skills needed to be successful. Recent examples of sweatshop conditions in the clothing industry have caused an international outcry by labor leaders, activists, and government officials. Just a few of the popular companies that operate sweatshops: Apple, Starbucks, Nike,
Walmart, Sears, and Toyota.
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How can we prevent sweatshops and improve working and living conditions? Admitting there is a problem is the first step to solving the sweatshop problem. Only when workers speak out can we look at normal operating conditions across companies and countries; we will be able to identify the most serious problems in global supply chains and begin to improve them.
Listening to
Cited: . The Humane Condition, 17 Apr. 2014. Web. 08 Feb. 2015. Publishing Limited, 2 Nov. 2007. Web. 09 Feb. 2015. Iftikhar, Ifath N. "Nike: Modern Day Slavery." Global Peace and Conflict . N.p., 23 Feb. 2012. Web. 08 Feb. 2015. Kristof, Nicholas D. "Where Sweatshops Are a Dream." Times, 14 Jan. 2009. Web. 08 Feb. 2015. MacIntyre, David. "10 Major Clothing Brands Caught in Shocking Sweatshop Scandals." TheRichest . The Richest, 7 Aug. 2014. Web. 09 Feb. 2015. The Sun . The Cornell Daily Sun, 09 Feb. 2015. Web. 09 Feb. 2015. Staff, Proquest. At Issue: Sweatshops . N.p.: ProQuest LLC, 2015 DB SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 9 Feb. 2015. Hunter 4