Sweat, Fear and Resignation Amid All the Toys -LAT

[Rose Siding]

Just off a wide dirt road that leads to a densely packed jumble of factories, workers behind one guarded metal gate toil seven days a week, sometimes as many as 24 hours straight, making toys for about 20 cents an hour.

It is a pace that makes them almost numb to the poor ventilation, the lack of bathroom breaks and a fear that they will be beaten if they complain.

Sweatshops aren't unusual, of course, in a country that possesses a large and cheap workforce and a permissive government hungry to attract big business. What makes this situation notable is that these workers make products for a company widely considered one of the most socially responsible American firms: Mattel Inc.

The El Segundo-based toy manufacturer was one of the first U.S. companies — and the only major player in its industry — to establish an independent system for monitoring and publicizing how factory workers are treated. In fact, Mattel routinely checks and rechecks hundreds of plants around the world, aiming to ensure that they comply with its 112-item code of conduct.
.........
"Mattel has no way to know the truth about what really goes on here," said a 24-year-old worker at the Shenzhen factory. "Every time there is an inspection, the bosses tell us what lies to say."

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-mattel26nov26,0,6068421.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[UpInArms]

1. a preview of life in the US with Meanspin overseeing the slaves?

http://bernie.house.gov/documents/2001/07-18-2001-2.asp

excerpt:

GREENSPAN: I hope I come out in favor of the strength and growth and sustainability of the American economy. First, with respect to the minimum wage, the reason I object to the minimum wage is I think it destroys jobs. And I think the evidence on that, in my judgment, is overwhelming. Consequently, I am not in favor of cutting anybody's earnings or preventing them from rising, but I am against them losing their jobs because of artificial government intervention, which is essentially what the minimum wage is. So it is not an issue of whether, in fact, I'm for or against people getting more money. I am strongly in favor of real incomes rising, and, indeed, that's the central focus of where I would come out.

SANDERS: Are you for abolishing the minimum wage?

GREENSPAN: I would say that if I had my choice, the answer is, of course.

SANDERS: You would abolish the minimum wage?

GREENSPAN: Well, I would, yes. Because if what I say is accurate, then the minimum wage does no good to the level of...

SANDERS: And you would allow employers to pay workers today $2 an hour if the circumstances provided that?

GREENSPAN: The problem is that they will not be paying $2 an hour because they won't be able to get people. But let me go on to your next questions. We've had this argument before. The issue of the tax cut is that, as you may recall, I very studiously avoided committing myself to anybody's tax cut back earlier this year. I was for a tax cut in principle. But whether it was that which was being argued by the Democratic minority at that time or whether it was the president's, I never commented on. And therefore, I still don't comment on the structure of the tax cut per se.

...more...

and please enjoy shopping at SqualMart

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2003-10-23-walmart-arrests_x.htm

excerpt:

Wal-Mart uses more than 100 third-party contractors to perform cleaning services in more than 700 stores, Williams said, and those contractors are required to use only legal workers.

The arrests stem from a November 1998 investigation done with the Pennsylvania attorney general's office. That inquiry also targeted store-cleaning contractors and subcontractors used by Wal-Mart.

The cleaning crews did not receive health insurance and were paid below the minimum wage, sometimes as little as $2 a day, a federal official said.

...more...

(edited to fix link)

[progdonkey]

3. I think that's one of the most ignorant things I've ever heard...

The problem is that they will not be paying $2 an hour because they won't be able to get people.

[UpInArms]

4. it fell from the lips of the lizardking himself

nasty piece of work, ole' Meanspin is.

[Warpy]

5. Ha! Never mind that every increase in the minimum wage has

caused an INCREASE in employment as marginal workers have more money to spend and increase demand for goods and services.

Greenspan is a damned fool and the enemy of the American people with his addlepated insistence that the economy functions from the top down. He's the problem, not the solution, and it's time for him to retire and spend the rest of his life masturbating over his collection of Ayn Rand novels.

[durablend]

6. Really Mr. Greenspan?

So when one company cuts wages the rest won't follow? After all, they're strictly in business to benefit the employee.

:eyes:

[sandnsea]

2. Ownership Society

Privatized Social Security where every American is invested in companies like Mattel so the only people who can stop this will have an economic incentive not to. Isn't free market capitalism grand!!!

:puke:

[Straight Shooter]

7. I cringe when I see anyone wearing something with the Nike swoosh

With all the information that came out about their sweatshops and oppressive working conditions, the danger to the health of their workers, celebrity endorsements trump all.

Education will never surpass indoctrination in the noncompassionate mind.

edit: just mentioning this as an example of how failure to protect others eventually comes back around to us

[SmokingJacket]

8. Something to think about while shopping...

how I loathe our culture sometimes.

[Mari333]

9. dont buy anything you dont need.

thats my motto anyway.