80 Hours Per Week Commenting On Two Classmates Di
Please review my discussion that I have provided and my Chosen topic was sweatshops offer opportunities for work.
Peer Response Guidance:
Now, argue the other side by responding to the initial posts of at least two of your peers who were assigned the same position as yours. In your peer responses, however, you will argue the opposite position from that of your initial post. For example, if you were assigned the position that sweatshops offer opportunities for workers, then that is the position you would take in your initial post; in your peer responses, you would argue that sweatshops oppress workers. As with all classroom debates, everyone loves a good argument. But remember to be respectful; it is only a discussion.
Classmate #1 Donna
As Industrialization has become global there are many people in countries that work in what was dubbed
sweatshops. They are anxious to get these jobs because they actually get paid better than in other jobs such
as being a Nanny. Unfortunately, these people are abused by the bosses with few breaks for anything including
the bathroom. There is an attitude that they are like slaves; the sweatshops are very hot and the workers are
pushed to work faster and faster and long hours. In Bangladesh, they make approximately $37 dollars a week,
the nannies $14.00/month. They sell to many name brands such as Gap, Nike, and others for a fair price according
to us here in the West. The general conditions are poor and very unsafe with building collapses and fires. If a worker
hurts herself on the job the boss may give her First Aid and send her back to work. The worker and her family are
usually happy with that kind of decision because the girl or woman doesn’t have to miss work and lose pay. I said girl
because it is a known fact that these factories often hire children, young girls 12-14 years old. Pregnancy is not
tolerated because they say the worker cannot produce her work fast enough, so the women hide their pregnancies
till they cannot. In Bangladesh a building collapsed, 142 died and 1000 were injured in April 2013. During an inspection,
the day before a crack was found but not repaired. They say politics and low wages prevent repairs. However, the truth
is that these grim factories contribute to a remarkable explosion of wealth in China and Thailand. Wages have risen
and China’s economy has become the “hottest” in the world. Some people say that is more important than worker
Classmate #2 Tammy
Industrialization is economic change for a community and for its people because of manufacturing and globalization is the process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating in an international market. (MindEdge, Inc., 2018) So by reading the definition of both they seem a positive thing for our economy and for our people. But when you put the definition in reference to sweatshop…it’s not. Sweatshop are generally condition that their workers work hard and get very little pay. We immediately always think of sweatshop as in the textile busy but it is not always. My first job I feel was a sweetshop, I worked in a printing company putting books together. Making only $3.35 per hour and leaving work with my hands so papercut and cracked from the paper absorbing all the moisture out of my hands. I would get home and they would hurts so bad I would soak them and then plaster Vaseline on them and sleep with socks on my hands. (Glad those days are way past and seem like a lifetime ago) Where technological innovation would take place is where technology would help companies put out a product quicker and mass produce. In the printing industry the newer machine help get the books out quicker and at a lower cost which in turn made my day easier but the owner of the plant made a bigger profit on the items. So in the sweatshop with technology it can either help or harm the workers, because if a machine is installed if will make your job easier or it possible can take your job from you.
The Lantern states “Sweatshop oppression. … Specifically, this means the extensive use of sweatshop labor. Many of us are familiar with the term sweatshop, but have difficulty really understanding how abhorrent the hours, wages and conditions are. Many of these workers are forced to work 70-80 hours per week making pennies per hour.” (The Lantern, 2006). We all are looking for a way to get more for our money, whether its cutting coupons, waiting for sales, or the all famous “black Friday” shopping. Just waiting for the time that we can get as much as possible for as little as we can. So because of our drive as wanted something for little bit of nothing is what is fueling the drive for sweatshop. For a manufacturer to keep prices low we need to have them produce at a low price and mass produced in sweatshops. So how are these workers treated, well they are forced to work long weeks of over 70 hours making a little bit of nothing. The heat from the machine making the temperature unbearable. No breaks, no incentive pay, no bonus and no chance of a union, so they have a voice for them. Sweatshop use children to do these task also. But the sad thing is when activist groups push these companies to pay their workers more or give them better benefits and working conditions, they pull out of that community and just set shop up elsewhere. So now the families are without that little income and the town’s economy drops. There is always a place for them to go where there is people willing to make that wage and countries that aren’t as strict.
With this assignment it made me think about the “Dollar General” or “Family Dollar” stores that are popping up all over the place. I know where I live there must be one every 20 miles…so my question is where these low price are and low quality clothes coming from. My bet would be sweatshop in other countries. So by us buying these $2.00 shirts are we promoting child labor and unfair labor? So I get it when people say buy American because our labor laws are tougher than others, but then we hurt the others from making a living even though it’s only pennies. Unsure the fix in the sweetshop workers being oppressed.