International Labor Rights
U.S. imports of manufactured goods have increased in recent years raising questions about the conditions of workers producing those goods. For this week's assignment, respond to the following key questions.
• First, provide a brief (one paragraph) overview..
• Discuss whether or not workers are exploited in manufacturing of US imports. In your response consider whether they are better off in that type of job or an alternative. Provide a rationale.
• Examine whether or not US consumers should boycott or increase in the purchase of these goods and the effects that boycott or increase in purchase would have on the workers.
• Should standards be set for work rules in other countries? Or, should work rules be left to the political system in a particular country?
• If work rules are set, who should set them and how should they be enforced?
For arguments in favor of rules see:
Workers' Rights Consortium at: https://www.workersrights.org/
Fair Labor Association at: https://www.fairlabor.org/
Union of Needle trades, Industrial and Textile Employees at: https://www.uniteunion.org
For arguments against the rules see:
Business for Social Responsibility at: https://www.bsr.org/
National Center for Policy Analysis at: https://www.ncpa.org
For other articles see:
Kristof, Nicholas D. and Sheryl Wudunn, "Two Cheers for Sweatshops" at:
https://www.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20000924mag-sweatshops.html
Tim Vickery, "Who's Watching the Shop Floor?"
https://www.fordschool.umich.edu/rsie/acit/Documents/ChristianSciMon8May2001.txt
For further information sites please see:
University Policy Statements, Designated Suppliers Program, Worker's Rights Consortium at:
https://www.workersrights.org/dsp.asp
Mishra, Praci and Petia Topalova, "How Does Globalization Affect Developing Countries?"
September, 2007 at: https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/irb/2007/eng/03/index.pdf
Key trade statistics from the WTO, organized by country at:
https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/org6_e.htm
Bhagwati, Jagdish and T.N. Srinivasan, "Trade and Poverty in the Poor Countries" at:
https://www.econ.yale.edu/~srinivas/trade_poverty.pdf
"Why economists are wrong about sweatshops and the anti-sweatshop movement," at:
https://www.fordschool.umich.edu/rsie/acit/Documents/Miller-Challenge.doc
University of Wisconsin at: https://www.news.wisc.edu/packages/sweatshops/
Your final product will be a paper that:
• Is APA fortatted.
• The body is to be 2 pages minimum.