Support for Regulation to Improve Garment Factory Conditions

Sophia White
CAP Red Group
5/3/14







Many Americans enjoy having the luxury of buying their clothes from popular brand
name stores for bargain prices. Yet countless American consumers are unaware that low-price
fashion comes with a high cost. Factory workers across the globe operate for hours each day
under unsuitable conditions, producing garments that are later sold in the U.S. Possible solutions
to improve garment factory conditions, such as the shutting down of factories or the organization
of unions for workers, are controversial because many argue that solutions like these will not
truly benefit workers. However, if there are rules and standards set for garment imports, then
industries will have no other choice but to improve conditions for their employees. Given the low
wages, unsafe labor conditions, and the social impact of child labor in the garment industry of
developing countries, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) must establish a practical and fair set
of regulations by which garments can be imported into the United States.
Having a background awareness of the issue of poor garment factory conditions in the
greater historical context of labor generally is crucial to an understanding of the specific issues
we are grappling with today. The concept of a "sweatshop" has existed in developing countries
as well as in the United States for over 150 years. The term is used to describe a working
environment in which conditions are harsh, hours are long, and pay is low (Historical
Development of the Sweatshop, Todd Pugatch). The U.S. Department of Labor defines a
sweatshop as a factory that violates 2 or more labor laws. From the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist
factory fire to the 2013 Bangladeshi Rana Plaza factory collapse, major historical accidents have
occurred due to substandard working conditions. There have been anti-sweatshop movements
made, but the problem still widely exists today. The Triangle Shirtwaist fire in New York City,
for example, spurred action to improve standards, and labor unions such as the International
Ladies Garment Workers Union pushed for labor reform laws. Nevertheless, little is being done
to build upon these gains, and today, too many employers are failing to obey the labor and
workplace safety laws that were enacted in the years following the [Triangle Shirtwaist fire]
(Why the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Is Important Today, Huffington Post). In addition,
many U.S. garment manufacturers have shipped the production of garments to developing
countries where the labor is cheaper. The inadequate conditions of garment factories spur too
many major accidents and problems, and action to improve these surroundings is essential.
Low-wages and unsafe conditions are some of the most dominant issues in the garment
industry, and the wellbeing of factory employees is affected across a wide range. Workers do not
get paid a living wage, are prevented from forming unions, and can be fined for making such
small mistakes as forgetting to turn the lights off, or showing up to work late (Child Slave
Labor in the Walt Disney Company, Frederick Kopp). In Bangladesh, there are 5,000 or more
factories attracted there by low wages and a large supply of available labor (Changes to
Bangladesh garment industry grind ahead, but slowly, Washington Post). A 2013 report stated
that Haitis minimum wage was supposed to increase in January, but that it did not affect Haitis
30,000 assembly factory workers and recent studies found rampant wage theft at almost two
dozen of the factories that stitch clothing for companies like Gap and Walmart (Jane Regan,
Inter Press Service). Furthermore, the truths of the conditions in factories are also often hidden
when inspections occur. An inspection of workers wellbeing at the Rosita Knitwear factory in
northwestern Bangladesh received a high grade, but 10 months afterwards, workers stormed
through the factory, accusing management of reneging on promised raises, bonuses and
overtime pay, and some claimed that they had been sexually harassed or beaten by guards
(NY Times, Fast and Flawed Inspections of Factories Abroad). The employees complaints
remain silent in the inspections, and poor conditions continue. These are just a few of the
ongoing difficulties garment factory workers face.
Low pay and long hours also have a negative impact on working mothers, and child labor
is one of the results of economically-struggling families. Often families cannot afford to provide
a proper education for their children, and even if they can, children frequently must drop out of
school, and then they will have to work. Child labor is one of the biggest problems with factories
in the garment industry. According to the United Nations, India, for example, has become the
world capital for child labor, employing over 55 million children aged everywhere from 5 to 14
(Sweatshops and Child Labor, The Gleaner). According to a 2006 report by the Institute for
Global Labor and Human Rights, children working at the Harvest Rich factory in Bangladesh
reported being routinely slapped and beaten, sometimes falling down from exhaustion, forced to
work 12 to 14 hours a day, even some all-night, 19-to-20-hour shifts (Labor and Worklife
Program at Harvard Law School). These severe social impacts of child labor must cease in an
improvement of garment industry conditions.
There are multiple solutions that could be attempted to improve the conditions of garment
industry factories, but they must truly benefit the workers. If factories around the world were to
be suddenly shut down, for example, millions would abruptly be without work, and the economy
of countries receiving imports from these factories would be hurt. A frequently suggested
solution is to have workers organize unions, but there is no guarantee that with the formation of
unions, overall worker conditions would improve. It would also be extremely difficult to try and
enforce the allowance of unions in developing countries, as many factories hide the fact that they
are restricting workers rights. A New York Times examination reveals how although inspection
systems are intended to protect workers and ensure manufacturing quality, they are riddled
with flaws. Another solution proposed is for companies themselves to band together with each
other to stand up against unsafe factory labor conditions. However, this is proving to be less
impactful, due to the facts that inspection systems are flawed and demand for low-priced goods
remains high. The resolve is weakened when the story is not in the media spotlight. Perhaps the
best possible solution is to have strict and organized regulations placed on garments in the
United States that determine whether the source treats its employees fairly.
Part of the job of the Federal Trade Commission is to prevent business practices that
are deceptive or unfair to consumers and to [protect] consumers by stopping unfair,
deceptive or fraudulent practices in the marketplace (ftc.gov). Thus, it is appropriate to task the
Federal Trade Commission with setting the regulations for garment imports. These regulations
should establish a set of ground rules by which factories must operate, if the goods they make are
to be imported into the U.S. Some of these ground rules might include a maximum 12-hour work
day, a fair and living wage which would have to be determined by any given countrys economy,
the right to take at least one break per day, adequate ventilation, an emergency evacuation plan,
and sufficient lighting. If any garment imports do not meet these standards, then they will not be
allowed into the U.S. Garment industries often tend to engage in a race to the bottom policy in
which they cut back on regulation and enforcement of decent working conditions in order to
lower labor costs (Racing to the Bottom, The Economist). With regulations set in place,
public awareness will be raised about these policies and pressure will be placed on garment
industries to improve conditions.
Without a solution to the continuing issue of unsafe labor in garment factories, there will
be many repercussions. Laborers employed in mass garment industry factories in developing
countries will continue to be deprived of substantial wages to provide for themselves and their
families. Workers will face daily risks and unsafe conditions in factories, and there will most
likely continue to be numerous incidents involving workplace fires and collapses. Many children
will still be forced to quit school in order to go to work, where their chances of getting a better,
more educational job in the future will often be corrupted. Countless consumers will also
continue to buy into the poor conditions of so many workplaces, often unknowingly or even
because they must, seeing as 98% of clothes sold in the U.S. are made overseas, according to
the Apparel and Footwear Association (Shoppers face tough choices over Bangladesh, CNN
Money).
Some people who are aware of the problems in garment factories make the argument that
sweatshops are beneficial to workers because they help alleviate poverty and boost economic
development. There is a certain notion that low-wage work is better than no work at all, and
although conditions [are] horrendous, they [provide] a means for many of the countrys least-
skilled people to earn livings (The Virtues of Sweatshops, the Foundation for Economic
Education). However, this is not the case, as sweatshop workers are trapped in a cycle of
exploitation that rarely improves their economic situation and often countries minimum
wages are insufficient to climb out of poverty, so no economic progress can ever be made
(Green America, Todd Larsen). Furthermore, garment industry employees must spend nearly all
of their paychecks on food for their families in order to survive. Other critics of solutions to
improve garment factory conditions worry about the price of clothing going up, and they make
the claim that changes in American garment regulations will threaten many retailers. There is a
possibility that a set of regulations could harm retailers in the U.S., but the improvement of both
garment factory conditions and the lives of workers in developing countries is a top priority.
The FTC must establish a set of rules that determine which garments can be imported
into the United States because of low wages, unsafe labor conditions, and the social impact of
child labor in the garment industry of developing countries. For too long, the U.S. has ignored
the existence of garment-producing factories with employees working under unacceptable
conditions. Due to many factors, including mass marketing, Americans are usually either
unaware of where their clothing is coming from, or they simply do not care where it comes
from, and with the continuing support and purchase into unsafe labor factories, no changes will
ever be made. It is time to focus on the sources of American imports and work to achieve real
and meaningful improvements in the garment industry.










Works Cited
"About the FTC." Federal Trade Commission. Federal Trade Commission, n.d. Web. 30 Mar.
2014. <http://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc>.
"Children Found Sewing Clothing for Wal-Mart, Hanes & Other U.S. & European Companies."
The Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard Law School. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/lwp/NLC_childlabor.html>.
Clifford, Stephanie, and Steven Greenhouse. "Fast and Flawed Inspections of Factories Abroad."
The New York Times. New York Times Company, 1 Sept. 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/02/business/global/superficial-visits-and-trickery-
undermine-foreign-factory-inspections.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0>.
C.W. "Racing to the Bottom." The Economist. Economist Newspaper, 27 Nov. 2013. Web. 30
Mar. 2014. <http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2013/11/labour-standards>.
"Economic Action to End Sweatshop and Forced Child Labor." Green America. Green America,
n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.greenamerica.org/programs/sweatshops/whattoknow.cfm>.
Fox, Emily Jane. "Americans Face Tough Choices over Bangladesh." CNN Money. Cable News
Network, 1 May 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
<http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/01/news/companies/bangladesh-garment-factory/>.
Kopp, Frederick. "Child Slave Labor in the Walt Disney Company." Immaculata High School
Child Slave Labor. ihscslnews.org/, Nov. 2005. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
<http://ihscslnews.org/view_article.php?id=67>.
Mestrich, Keith. "Why the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Is Important Today." Huffington
Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 25 Mar. 2014. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/keith-mestrich/why-the-triangle-
shirtwai_b_5029158.html>.
Pugatch, Todd. "Historical Development of the Sweatshop." The University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. U of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 30 Apr. 1998. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.unc.edu/~andrewsr/ints092/sweat.html>.
Ramishvili, Tamari. "Sweatshops and Child Labor: The Price of Fashion?" The Gleaner.
Gleaner, 18 Apr. 2012. Web. 4 May 2014.
<http://gleaner.rutgers.edu/2012/04/sweatshops-and-child-labor-the-price-of-fashion/>.
Regan, Jane. "Small Haitian Minimum Wage Increase Excludes Factory Workers." Institute for
Justice and Democracy in Haiti. IJDH.ORG, 3 Dec. 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.ijdh.org/2013/12/topics/economy/wage-hike-in-haiti-doesnt-address-
factory-abuses/#.UwwhVoXRzWE>.
Schneider, Howard. "Changes to Bangladesh Garment Industry Grind Ahead, but Slowly."
Washington Post. Washington Post, n.d. Web. 4 May 2014.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/changes-to-bangladesh-garment-
industry-grind-ahead-but-slowly/2013/11/26/088e66a2-56d9-11e3-ba82-
16ed03681809_story.html>.
Spath, Stefan. "The Vritues of Sweatshops." Foundation for Economic Education. Foundation
for Economic Education, 1 Mar. 2002. Web. 4 May 2014.
<http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/the-virtues-of-sweatshops>.



Annotated Bibliography
"About the FTC." Federal Trade Commission. Federal Trade Commission, n.d. Web. 30 Mar.
2014. <http://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc>. This government website provides a description of the
duties of the Federal Trade Commission. I used this source to back up the details of my solution.
"Children Found Sewing Clothing for Wal-Mart, Hanes & Other U.S. & European Companies."
The Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard Law School. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/lwp/NLC_childlabor.html>. This source
thoroughly describes the harsh child labor conditions at a factory in Bangladesh. Gives
supporting evidence of the brutal treatment occurring in these factories and the
consequences on the children.
Clifford, Stephanie, and Steven Greenhouse. "Fast and Flawed Inspections of Factories Abroad."
The New York Times. New York Times Company, 1 Sept. 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/02/business/global/superficial-visits-and-trickery-
undermine-foreign-factory-inspections.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0>. This article gives
information on the often false inspections of garment factories around the world. I used a
specific example of an incident at a factory in Bangladesh, where an inspection had
initially turned out looking flawless, but workers rebelled and stated that the results were
false and that they were being treated horribly.
C.W. "Racing to the Bottom." The Economist. Economist Newspaper, 27 Nov. 2013. Web. 30
Mar. 2014. <http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2013/11/labour-standards>.
This article provided insight on the policy that many garment factories engage in known
as "race to the bottom." I used the information here to support my argument that there are
not decent working conditions in factories and one of the reasons for this is that industries
are focused for consumer reasons on producing the cheapest goods.
"Economic Action to End Sweatshop and Forced Child Labor." Green America. Green America,
n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.greenamerica.org/programs/sweatshops/whattoknow.cfm>. This source was
formatted as a Q&A, and it provided useful information on sweatshops and defense
against pro-sweatshop arguments.
Fox, Emily Jane. "Americans Face Tough Choices over Bangladesh." CNN Money. Cable News
Network, 1 May 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
<http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/01/news/companies/bangladesh-garment-factory/>. This
source provided useful statistics on American imports from overseas factories.
Kopp, Frederick. "Child Slave Labor in the Walt Disney Company." Immaculata High School
Child Slave Labor. ihscslnews.org/, Nov. 2005. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
<http://ihscslnews.org/view_article.php?id=67>. This source provides useful information
on an example of a sweatshop factory and child laborers working to produce toys.
Mestrich, Keith. "Why the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Is Important Today." Huffington
Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 25 Mar. 2014. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/keith-mestrich/why-the-triangle-
shirtwai_b_5029158.html>. This article relates the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
to the garment industry today and provides insight on necessary labor reforms.
Pugatch, Todd. "Historical Development of the Sweatshop." The University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. U of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 30 Apr. 1998. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.unc.edu/~andrewsr/ints092/sweat.html>. This website gives detailed
information on sweatshops, and talks about various important events in history related to
them.
Ramishvili, Tamari. "Sweatshops and Child Labor: The Price of Fashion?" The Gleaner.
Gleaner, 18 Apr. 2012. Web. 4 May 2014.
<http://gleaner.rutgers.edu/2012/04/sweatshops-and-child-labor-the-price-of-fashion/>.
This article provided me with further information on child labor, and especially helped
me to pull out a specific statistic on garment factories and child labor in India.
Regan, Jane. "Small Haitian Minimum Wage Increase Excludes Factory Workers." Institute for
Justice and Democracy in Haiti. IJDH.ORG, 3 Dec. 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.ijdh.org/2013/12/topics/economy/wage-hike-in-haiti-doesnt-address-
factory-abuses/#.UwwhVoXRzWE>. Gives useful information on low-wage factory
workers in Haiti.
Schneider, Howard. "Changes to Bangladesh Garment Industry Grind Ahead, but Slowly."
Washington Post. Washington Post, n.d. Web. 4 May 2014.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/changes-to-bangladesh-garment-
industry-grind-ahead-but-slowly/2013/11/26/088e66a2-56d9-11e3-ba82-
16ed03681809_story.html>. This article provided additional information on the
Bangladesh garment industry and statistics regarding the factory collapse.
Spath, Stefan. "The Vritues of Sweatshops." Foundation for Economic Education. Foundation
for Economic Education, 1 Mar. 2002. Web. 4 May 2014.
<http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/the-virtues-of-sweatshops>. This article provided
information and reasoning on the opposite argument from the one I was making in my
paper. I used it to argue my point by contradicting what was said in the article.