Adidas is not paying workers of a factory closed even though they have promised to adhere to a code of conduct.
After I became aware of the use of sweatshops for clothing, I started to deny my kids certain clothing they wanted because it was made in a country operating sweatshops. I recall yelling matches with one of my daughters because she couldn’t have the “cool” clothes these stores were selling.
At my university, there was a hunger-strike because the university was using sweatshops for its apparel. There was a lively discussion on it in one of the classes (a rare thing, believe me, because classes were set up to have lecture-only–rarely did we have meaningful discussions) –angry students were going to grill some steaks by the hunger-strikers. These folks had done nothing to them–they were protesting mistreatment to other human beings—so why would that anger them? Unbelievable.
I used to own several shirts with the university’s logo on it. I threw them out when I learned of the sweatshops. What still boggles me is when people find out that the chic clothing they’re wearing is made by someone earning a $1 per day, they merely shrug their shoulders and go on with their lives.
As it became harder and harder to buy non-sweatshop clothing, I thought I could just sew all my clothes, but when went to the fabric stores and looked at the place of manufacture–yep, you can guess it–China, Guatemala, etc. I couldn’t even buy fabric made in the U.S. to sew with.
Here’s a website of stuff still made in the U.S.A. I can’t make any claims to know about the fair wage practices of the manufacturers, so enter at your own risk.
Reblogged this on Dolphin and commented:
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted this — I’ve recently had to re-commit to not buying sweatshop clothing. I was offered a gift certificate to purchase clothing at stores that stock nothing but sweatshop clothing. I was afraid that I would appear ungrateful because I refused the gift…this is, as I see it, about spirituality as well as conscience — do unto others as I would wish others means not supporting corporate slave owners that make millions off of clothing while paying workers a $1 a day.