Societal Issues in Apparel Manufacturing

Menu 1. Child labor 2. Sweatshops 3. Low wages

Societal Issues: Child Labor Do you know another student who has a job and contributes to their family income?

Societal Issues: Child Labor Throughout history children have always worked What are reasons a child would work? Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Childlabourcoal.jpg 1. Reasons for child labor: Poverty, to support their family, to support themselves, lack of schooling opportunities, to learn a trade. Some cultures believe it can be character building.

Societal Issues: Child labor How would hard labor affect the childhood of a person? Image: http://freeschoolparagraph.blogspot.com/2012/04/child-labour.html Steal their childhood, dangerous, physically, mentally, and emotionally damaging

Societal Issues: Child Labor In the US, in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s child labor was a serious problem Children worked long hours in dangerous and unhealthy sweatshops and in unsafe conditions How would you describe a sweatshop?

Societal Issues: Sweatshops Sweatshop: Manufacturing plant with dark, airless, uncomfortable and unhealthful working conditions. A manufacturing plant may use child labor, illegal immigrants, or slaves Pays lower than minimum wage Unclean and unsafe facilities Long hours Image: http://wardrobeadvice.com/what-are-sweatshops/

Societal Issues: Child Labor What could have brought about changes in our country to improve the working conditions of child labor? Labor unions, public opinion, media, accidents

Societal Issues: Child Labor Famous accident stirring public opinion The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire 1911 New York City 150 workers burned or jumped to their deaths Lead to changes in Child Labor Laws Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire_building.jpg

Societal Issues: Child Labor Laws Current US Child Labor Laws (General Description) 18 years old: any job at any number of hours 16-17: Any nonhazardous job at any number of hours 14-15: Nonmanufacturing, nonmining, nonhazardous job, but no longer than 3 hours per school day or 18 hours per school week. Only between 7am to 7 pm Any age-Deliver newspapers, work for parents in nonfarm business, and perform on radio, TV, movie, or theater

Societal Issues: Child Labor Laws OSHA and Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration: OSHA OSHA sets and enforces job safety and health standards Department of Labor: Enforces labor laws

Student Opinion Are there sweatshops in the US today? Why would someone work in a sweatshop in the US today? Forever 21 Sweatshop in LA Image: http://fashiononthedime.wordpress.com/tag/sweatshops/