In an article on change.org, titled "Get Your Super Bowl Fan Jerseys, Courtesy of Abused Women" on February 3, 2011, author Alex DiBranco tells of how sports jerseys are made. With Super Bowl Sunday just around the corner, everyone is buying their game day jerseys and wearing them proudly. Maybe that shouldn't be the case. DiBranco tells of the women who work to sew the jerseys for so many devoted fans. The working conditions for the El Salvadorean workers is very poor. They are forced to work in 100 degree heat for 60 hours each week with only contaminated water to drink. Each jersey that is sold sells for around $25, but the hard-working women do not see much of that money. For each jersey they only receive about 8 cents. Most people wouldn't put up with such low pay, but to these women their jobs are not worth losing, because it's all they have. Many things can get them fired from their work, including complaining. I can say that if I was being treated this way and only receiving 8 cents for each product I make in such horrible conditions, I don't know how long I could put up with it. At my job, I make $8.50 every hour, and I've never realized just how much I make compared to some people that receive hardly anything. I also have good drinking water available to me and a clean atmosphere. These poor women make me want to throw away my football jerseys (which are no good for the Super Bowl anyway) and petition on change.org for better working conditions and pay for them.
http://news.change.org/stories/get-your-super-bowl-fan-jerseys-courtesy-of-abused-women
I agree, it's a tragedy about what's happening to those women. But the problem with America is that so many things are made elsewhere in a despicable manner, that if we were to boycott everything, we'd probably go around naked. Not trying to lessen these women's plight, just stating a fact.
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ReplyDeleteI do agree that it's a tragedy we allow the third world to be exploited like this. However, it seems like there is very little we could do. Nearly all clothing is made in the third world and beyond going naked or making our own clothes, we can't do anything to prevent it. So far, there's been little pressure on companies to not use cheap foreign labor.
ReplyDeleteHoly crap, me and Tori had nearly the exact same post.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that local governments do not stand up for their residents and force big multi national companies to pay their workers properly. And its a crying shame.
ReplyDeleteThis post is a reality and it makes me think about just that. Is a football jersey really worth a life?
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