 |
|
SWEAT shines a light on the apparel
and footwear industry, showing how most of the
apparel and shoes that we wear are manufactured
in sweatshops, both abroad and surprisingly,
within the US. Workers are paid a wage that
does not allow them to meet their basic needs
of food, drinking water, clothing, housing,
and modestly taking care of their families.
The primary reason that this problem exists
is that transnational corporations seek to squeeze
profit margins by paying the lowest wages possible
and moving factory production to different countries
in pursuit of the cheapest labor. These corporations,
at the prodding of investors (mutual fund managers,
institutions, etc.) and financial analysts,
seek to cut costs and grow profits with each
financial quarter, so that the company share
price remains high. Problems arise when basic
needs, like health care or wage increases are
cut for workers in an attempt to produce higher
margins of profit for shareholders.
Despit this reality, it is possible for shareholders
to see a significant profit on their investment,
without multi-billion dollar corporations cheating
workers out of fair compensation. One way to
challenge this systematic exploitation and transform
the industry is for consumers to support companies
that produce quality goods while treating their
workers with the human dignity that they deserve.
This is not the only solution, but this type
of competition for consumer dollars has the
ability to pressure other corporations to meet
workers' needs.
For EFJ's comprehensive list of sweatshop-free
& fair trade products, click
here.
To Purchase
the Official SWEAT t-shirt:
The logo for SWEAT was designed by Martin
Duffy and Michael Pierantozzi and featured in
Print Magazine's Regional Design Annual in 2002.
Visit Educating
for Justice's Online Store to purchase the
official SWEAT t-shirt.
Shirts are available in Navy, White, Royal
or Grey.
|
