Thesis

NGOs should focus on exposing sweatshops conditions to consumers, raising market awareness in an effort to improve corporate social responsibility.

A Boomerang Pattern

Corporations don't need to directly listen to NGOs but do need to listen to consumers.

If NGOs focused on changing consumer sentiment, corporations would need to listen.

What are sweatshops?According to the US

Department of Labor a sweatshop is any factory that violates more than one of the US labor laws which are:

Paying minimum wage Keeping a time card Paying overtime Paying on time

According to the Union of Needletrades Industrial and Textile Employees (a US garment union) a sweatshop is any factory that does not respect a workers’ right to create an independent union

Global Exchange and other NGOs add to the sweatshop description that its if it does not pay a living wage

The Free Trade Area of the Americas

The FTAA allowed multinational corporations to benefit from cheap labor in the Americas but this made countries from the rest of the world decrease they’re wages to get some of the MNC’s money causing wages to further decrease in the Americas and all over the world

Sweatshop Abuses:

• Verbal

• Physical

• Sexual

• Denied Unions

• Low wages

• Long hours

•Child Labor

•Human Trafficking

It was created on the basis of institutionalism.

NGOs and Their Approach

Co-op America Empowering individuals to make purchasing and investing choices

that promote social justice and environmental sustainability. Demanding an end to corporate irresponsibility through collective

economic action. Promoting green and fair trade business principles while building

the market for businesses adhering to these principles. Building sustainable communities in the US and abroad.

Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR)

Definition: Companies “develop a specific understanding of their impact on [the] society at large and strive to avoid harm as a result of their activities on customers, employees, shareholders, communities and the environment.”

“CSR defines [the] voluntary measures to improve the general quality of life [by] going beyond the legal obligations…in a given national context.”

NIKE, Inc.

Exposed in the 1990’s, after using child labor

Faced with harsh criticism and pressured by consumers, NIKE adopted a CSR policy as well as making some efforts to improve the working conditions of factories in the garment industry

NIKE’s Code of Conduct

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Founded in 1962Despite allegations and exposed use of

factories with sweatshop conditions, it continues to make no real effort in stopping these violations.

The attractiveness of low prices gives reason for consumers to turn a blind eye towards unfair labor conditions.

Role of the Consumer

“When consumers exercise the right to choose, they become the ultimate arbiters of human decency in the marketplace.”

Consumers have been successful in persuading companies to “do the right thing” in the past.

Companies ultimately supply what the consumer demands.

What Consumers Need to Do

If consumer demand for clothes made in fair labor conditions was high enough, a movement would be initiated among corporations to do something about it.

Consumers would have to live with paying more for clothing, but the benefit would be having peace of mind.

How to Approach Consumers

Push for an aggregate consumer social conscience through various media channels, forcing corporations to listen.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2nAe4_b9itk

Works Cited

Pictures: 1. (nike)

http://www.nicholsoncartoons.com.au/cartoons/human_rights/img17.jpg2.(child labor)

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.coopamerica.org/images/sweatshops_lg.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/

realmoney/articles/nosweatshops.cfm&h=235&w=240&sz=22&hl=en&start=6&tbnid=gen14s

brqf8aHM:&tbnh=108&tbnw=110&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSweatshops%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den

4. Company Breakdownhttp://openlearn.open.ac.uk/file.php/2392/DD205_2_001i.jpg