Sweatshop Awareness Campaign
What is a sweatshop, and where are sweatshops found?
There is no legal definition for a sweatshop, but a common definition is that a sweatshop is a workplace where workers are subject to extreme exploitation, including the absence of a living wage or benefits, poor working conditions, and arbitrary discipline, such as verbal and physical abuse. The word "sweatshop" itself was originally used in the 19th century to describe a subcontracting system in which the middlemen earned their profits from the margin between the amount they received for a contract and the amount they paid workers with whom they subcontracted. The margin was said to be "sweated" from the workers because they received minimal wages for excessive hours worked under unsanitary conditions.
Are You Aware?
The Wonderful World of Disney?
According to a 1999 report issued by the Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee (HKCIC), Chinese factory workers manufacturing clothing, hats, and shoes for the Walt Disney Company are regularly forced to work 16 hours a day, seven days a week during peak production and earn poverty wages. During an eight-month investigation, researchers found frequent violations of both Chinese and Disney's own Codes of Conduct for Manufacturers in respect to overtime, pay, and contracts. According to the report, workers at the four investigated factories earn between 13.5 and 36 cents an hour, depending on the production schedule. In one factory, employees hadn't been paid in three months. -Global Exchange, February 22, 1999
Disney owns: Capital Cities/ABC, ESPN, Disney's Hollywood film and television studios, cartoon characters, theme parks, and the merchandise they generate.
Wal-Mart
Since December 1999, Wal-Mart Canada imported almost 70 tons of garments from Burma. Despite its claims that it broke its Burmese connection in January 2000, Wal-Mart was identified in a Thai newspaper as buying garments from a factory owned by Burmese drug-thug, Lo-Hsing-han.
Workers at the Beximco Factory in Bangladesh which makes shirts and pants sold in Wal-Mart stores work 12-hour days seven days a week and are paid wages ranging from 9 to 20 cents an hour.
Wal-Mart Stores Brands include: Neighborhood Market, Sasson, Sam's Club, Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart Supercenter
Levi Straus & Co.
In the Saipan lawsuit Levi was the only company not to agree to the settlement saying it stopped buying garments from Saipan factories in 2000.
In September 2003, Levi announced that it would close the last of its North American manufacturing plants, laying off almost 2,000 workers. The company said it would shut two plants in San Antonio by the end of the year, displacing 800 workers there and marking the end of its US manufacturing operations and would discontinue its Canadian operations in March, ending 1,190 jobs at three plants in Alberta and Ontario. Levi uses about 500 contractors to produce its apparel in 50 countries, including Mexico, China, and Bangladesh. - Los Angeles Times, Sept 26, 2003
What does this mean for you? Less American jobs and more SWEATSHOPS! Levis is only trying to make more profit, but at what cost?
The Limited, Inc.
According to a complaint, the more than 13,000 garment workers in Saipan regularly worked 12-hour days, seven days a week, often times "off the clock" without receiving any pay or overtime. The lawsuit also accused the Limited and other companies of operating a "racketerring conspiracy" through which workers, who are mostly young women, sing contracts waiving their basic human rights and pay recruitment fees of up to $10,000 to secure sweatshop jobs. By agreeing to the settlement, the companies admitted no wrongdoing. - Associated Press, April 25, 2003
What does The Limited, Inc. own? Bath & Body Works, Victoria's Secret Stores, Victoria's Secret Catalogues, Henri Bendel, White Barn Candle Co, Express, Structure. The Limited, Inc also includes Banana Republic, Gap, Baby Gap, and Old Navy.
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie has been named and settled on the Saipan lawsuit.
Did you know that A&F makes thongs for 10 year-old girls?
They also interview porn stars and have half-naked models in their catalogues!