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Spotlight: Labor & Economic News Across the Country: Unions Turn Up Heat on Sweatshops
If you head to Banana Republic, Eddie Bauer and Ann Taylor for back-to-school or holiday shopping, don’t be surprised to find a crowd. Not shoppers, protesters.
The popular retail stores are the first targeted by a new war on sweatshops being waged by labor, civil rights and religious groups. “Despite years of public pressure against sweatshops, today’s global retailers are greedier than ever and more workers around the world are toiling in sweatshops to make their goods,” said Bruce Raynor, president of UNITE, the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees.
The coalition isn’t buying retailers’ claims that they don’t control what happens at the overseas factories. When retailers negotiate extremely low prices for goods they know workers aren’t being paid fairly and that child or slave labor could be involved, Raynor said.
UNITE and other unions marched down Broadway in New York City on Aug. 8 to announce the new effort, winding up at outlets for the three targeted retailers — all of which earn healthy profits yet still buy sweatshop goods.
For instance, UNITE says Ann Taylor has annual sales of $1.2 billion, profits of $52.4 million, yet sells apparel made in China by workers who earn 14 cents an hour and work 96 hours a week.
“We want consumers to reward good behavior and to punish retailers who pay prices so low that their factories are forced to abuse workers,” Raynor said.
Cops Cuff Dunkin’ Donuts
So much for the old jokes about cops and doughnuts.
Philadelphia’s finest are boycotting the fatty pastries — at least those churned out by labor-law violator Dunkin’ Donuts. “We don’t believe anyone is above the rule of law,” Rich Costello, president of the city’s police union, said at a news conference.
Here’s the hole — oops, whole — story: Warehouse workers and truck drivers at a Dunkin’ Donuts distribution center in Logan Township, N.J., near Philly, have been on strike since May. For three years, Dunkin’ Donuts has refused to recognize its employees as members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1360 — even after a National Labor Relations Board judge found the company guilty of dozens of unfair labor practices and ordered the doughnut maker to bargain in good faith, rehire fired workers and pay back wages.
As for the police officers, Costello joked that there may be a fringe benefit to doing the right thing. “It might help a few cops slim down,” he said.
The popular retail stores are the first targeted by a new war on sweatshops being waged by labor, civil rights and religious groups. “Despite years of public pressure against sweatshops, today’s global retailers are greedier than ever and more workers around the world are toiling in sweatshops to make their goods,” said Bruce Raynor, president of UNITE, the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees.
The coalition isn’t buying retailers’ claims that they don’t control what happens at the overseas factories. When retailers negotiate extremely low prices for goods they know workers aren’t being paid fairly and that child or slave labor could be involved, Raynor said.
UNITE and other unions marched down Broadway in New York City on Aug. 8 to announce the new effort, winding up at outlets for the three targeted retailers — all of which earn healthy profits yet still buy sweatshop goods.
For instance, UNITE says Ann Taylor has annual sales of $1.2 billion, profits of $52.4 million, yet sells apparel made in China by workers who earn 14 cents an hour and work 96 hours a week.
“We want consumers to reward good behavior and to punish retailers who pay prices so low that their factories are forced to abuse workers,” Raynor said.
Cops Cuff Dunkin’ Donuts
So much for the old jokes about cops and doughnuts.
Philadelphia’s finest are boycotting the fatty pastries — at least those churned out by labor-law violator Dunkin’ Donuts. “We don’t believe anyone is above the rule of law,” Rich Costello, president of the city’s police union, said at a news conference.
Here’s the hole — oops, whole — story: Warehouse workers and truck drivers at a Dunkin’ Donuts distribution center in Logan Township, N.J., near Philly, have been on strike since May. For three years, Dunkin’ Donuts has refused to recognize its employees as members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1360 — even after a National Labor Relations Board judge found the company guilty of dozens of unfair labor practices and ordered the doughnut maker to bargain in good faith, rehire fired workers and pay back wages.
As for the police officers, Costello joked that there may be a fringe benefit to doing the right thing. “It might help a few cops slim down,” he said.