Brooke Moore

MCS 429

May 14, 2015

The Impact of Sweat Shops on the

Merchandising Industry

Introduction:

In today’s society people are looking to get the most out of their money. This also goes

for merchandising companies. Some merchandising companies use what is called sweat shops

that are usually located in under developed countries to produce clothing and other products for

cheap. According to our textbook, the definition of a sweat shop is a firm with poor working

conditions, safety violations, low pay, and inhuman treatment of the employees (Kunz & Garner

2011). Sweatshops also usually have extremely long hours, child labor, and lack of benefits for

workers. The people that work in sweatshops are usually forced to work here to have some

money to buy food for their family. (Do Something 2014) Many people think that human right

violations in sweat shops is something that only happened in the past and that everyone has equal

rights, however, they are mistaken (Thompson 2013). Even though sweat shops are usually in

third world countries, they affect people on an international level. Most people that buy

merchandise from the large companies that use sweatshops are unaware of the production that

goes into the garment. Purchasing their products allows these companies to continue to produce

their products in sweat shops and it also affects the ability to have sustainable fair trade with

these countries.

Review of Literature:

Many people believe that sweat shops were only in other developing countries; however,

in the past there were many sweatshops here in the United States. Sweat shops have been in the

United States since the Industrial Age. The term “sweatshop” was first used in the 19th

century

when merchandise mass production became popular, to describe the tailoring trade. During the

early 19th

century seamstresses would spend the day stitching pre-cut fabric with very poor pay.

Their work was physically demanding and unpredictable. By 1880 the completion between

merchandise companies rose. Most companies employed immigrants to keep the pay as low as

possible and the hours up. Many small apartments in the cities doubled as sweatshops and living

quarters, making the living conditions unbearable. Many of these immigrants that worked in

sweatshops lived in poverty and suffered from diseases, malnutrition, and exhaustion. In the

1940s fewer and fewer sweatshops were seen in the United States, however, by the late 1960s

more sweatshops had started to back into production because of a number of forces both in the

United States and overseas. Today, there is more awareness of sweatshops and the harmful

conditions the employees have to work through. Activist and concerned citizens are working to

get rid of sweat shops all together. However, since merchandising companies get a bad

reputation for using sweat shops, they move the production companies overseas to keep it under

wraps. By using sweat shops merchandising companies are able to produce the garments for

very cheap and then mark up the price tremendously to sell to the customer. The merchandiser

ends up making a huge profit. (Leibhold & Rubenstein 2014).

In sweat shops there are also of ethical concerns that happen. Human rights of the

employees are being violated by forcing them work in harmful conditions with very little pay.

Some of the sweat shops lock the workers inside the building not allowing them to leave until the

work is finished. In recent years there has been news about fires and collapsing factory buildings

with high death rate because the workers are locked inside unable to save themselves. In the last

five years there have been over 700 deaths of workers who have died in factory fires. The

workers may only get paid about 60 cents per day to produce clothing for well known American

brands (Thompson 2013). Children are also forced to work in these sweat shops. Around 250

million children ages five to fourteen are working in sweat shops in developing countries (Do

Something 2014). In the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights there are

several articles that talk about how all people are equal and how no one should be subjected to

inhuman treatment or torture, and that everyone has to right to rest and leisure. All of these

articles in the declaration are being broken by companies who have sweat shops (Thompson

2013). There has recently been an experiment conducted by a group called Fashion Revolution,

where they place a bright vending machine in the city of Berlin that sells t-shirts for about two

dollars. When a person comes up to the vending machine, before they get their shirt they watch

a short video about the people who make clothing for cheap with little pay and long hours. At

the end of the video the customer has the choice to buy the t-shirt or to donate money. Eight out

of ten people decided to donate instead of buy the shirt. The Fashion Revolution group did this

experiment to raise awareness of the conditions of sweat shops.

Even though sweat shops are predominately located in third world countries, the effects

of sweat shops affect politics internationally. Most companies use sweat shops to avoid the strict

labor laws in their own country. When people purchase products from companies that use sweat

shops, they are usually unaware of the situation. These companies then make millions of dollars

from their products. By purchasing their products allows them to continue to have sweat shops

overseas. It also does not contribute to a sustainable future in fair trade. Some of the well

known companies that have been known to use sweat shops are Nike, Disney, Reebok, Victoria

Secret, and several others. By purchasing these companies products, it allows them to continue

to use the exploitation of workers. Sweat shops also affect the community that they are located

in. Sweat shops employ very poor men, women, and even children who do not have other

options to earn money. Many of these families are living on $1.25 a day. When these families

have very low incomes it leads to a limit on safe food and water, hunger and poor sanitation,

which will then lead to diseases and malnutrition and eventually death. When the workforce is

depleted due to families unable to care for their basic needs, the economy in that community

declines. Child labor is also an issue in sweat shops that affect the community. Children who

work in sweat shops are paid significantly less compared to adults. Companies will use child

labor in sweat shops because they are cheaper to employ and their small hands are able to make

intricate stitches in clothing. Many of these children will work up to 20 hours a day seven days a

week, and only make around six cents an hour. Women’s rights are almost inexistent in sweat

shops, even though they make up about 80 – 90% of the work force. The women make about ten

to twenty cents an hour, and a lot of the time they are forced to live in dirty living quarters where

they are unable to leave. The women are also forced to take birth control so the workers will not

have maternity leave are receive any health benefits when having a child. Human trafficking

also becomes an issue a lot of the time because these women are being sold from sweat shop to

another sweat shop most of their lives. Sweat shops affect the community by tearing families

apart and by forcing them to work until they die and the economy fails. Sweat shops affect the

global economy by allowing these companies to make millions while affecting the opportunity of

fair trade with other countries (Sweat Shops: A Global Crisis 2014).

Discussion:

I am against the use of companies using sweat shops and violating human rights, like I

am sure most people are. However, many people do not even realize it is going on to make a

stand to end the use of sweat shops. Sweat shops are mainly used by big name brand companies

to save a little extra money. They are mainly located in third world counties because there are

people in these areas who are willing to work in poor conditions to support their family and to

also avoid strict labor laws. There are multiple views on sweat shops and what people consider

ethical or not. Some companies what to use sweat shops because they are able to produce

clothing for very cheap and fast. In today’s society and in the merchandising market it is

important to get clothing on the sales floor as quickly as possible. Consumers will also keep

buying clothes and products produced by sweat shops because they are cheaper and they are

looking to get the most out of their money. Also many people see sweat shops as giving people

in third world countries a job opportunity that would pay better than the alternative options.

They also believe that by closing these sweat shops would lead to more poverty and an economic

decline in those countries. In consideration to inhuman work conditions, they believe that is the

people are willing to work in those poor conditions then it should be allowed. However, I

believe that there is difference in giving third world countries work opportunities and forcing

people to work in brutal conditions. If companies choose to open production shops in third

world countries they should pay them enough to at least support their basic needs, as well as give

them enough breaks and not forcing the employees to work exhausting long hours. The work

conditions should also be safe and comfortable for the employees. I also believe that there

should be more security checks on companies to unsure that they are not using sweat shops, and I

also think that informing people about the harsh conditions of sweat shops will force the

companies to start using more human practices for their employees.

Child labor and poor working conditions for women is something that I believe should be

fixed in sweat shops. Children as young as five years old are forced to work long hours for very

little pay. I believe that children should be getting some kind of education and enjoy their

childhood, not work in a factory. Companies like to use child labor because they are able to

make more intricate stitching and their small frames can fit into the machines if needed, and

companies also do not have to pay children as much as they do the adults. While women make

up most of the work force in sweat shops, they have little to no benefits or rights. If a woman

does become pregnant while working, I believe that they should have the necessary benefits and

maternity leave. I also think that it should be the women’s choice to take birth control and not

forced on them to take it. Today’s society needs to be informed about the working conditions for

women and children in order for it to be stopped in the future.

Conclusion:

Sweat shops are a firm with poor working conditions, safety violations, low pay, and

inhuman treatment of the employees according to our textbook (Kunz & Garner 2011). Some

big name companies are known for using sweat shops to cut costs and for faster production.

Some companies that are known for using sweat shops are Disney, Nike, Victoria Secret,

Reebok, and many others. The working conditions for the employees in sweat shops are very

poor and inhuman. In some factories the employees are locked inside and forced to work long

hours until the work is finished. Many people who buy clothes that are made in sweat shops are

usually unaware for how their clothes were made. To end the use of sweat shops people need to

be more informed about the working conditions the employees have to endure. I believe that

employees should have fair wages, not over exhausting hours, and workers benefits.

Sources:

Kunz, G. I. & Garner, M. B. (2011). Going Global: The Textile and Apparel Industry. New York: Fairchild.

Leibhold, P., and Rubenstein, H., (2013). Between a rock and hard place: A history of American

Sweatshops, 1820-present. History Matters. Retrieved from:

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/145.

Thompson, J., (2013). Sweat shops violate human rights; American companies at fault. The

Collegian. Retrieved from: http://www.kstatecollegian.com/2013/04/30/sweatshops-violate-

human-rights-american-companies-at-fault/.

(2014). 11 facts about sweat shops. Do Something. Retrieved from:

https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-sweatshops.

(2014). How do sweat shops affect communities? Sweat Shops: A Global Crisis. Retrieved from:

http://sweatshops-a-global-crisis.weebly.com/how-do-sweatshops-affect-communities.html.