Activists link Vt. to sweatshops

Preventative bill awaits Douglas’ signature

MONTPELIER — At least three companies that contract with the state of Vermont for clothes and other materials are linked to overseas sweatshops, according to human rights advocates.

Several U.S. companies that recently supplied the state with shoes, boots, uniforms and other work-related clothes have some of their materials made in factories where there are reports of forced overtime, poor ventilation, union busting and even death, activists said.

“It does appear that the state of Vermont contracts with companies that are linked to sweatshops,” said Martin Cohn of Brattleboro, the owner of a public relations firm that conducted the research. “That means our taxpayer dollars are going to subsidize overseas sweatshops.” [snip]

[snip]
Several young prostitutes interviewed by the AP said they were having sex without condoms to attract customers now that so many more girls are on the streets. [snip]

She was paid about $18 and used the money to buy food for her parents and six siblings. She tells her family she has a job in town and they don’t ask her specifics.

“My parents were poor even before the violence,” she said. “Now that I’m on the streets, on good days, I get up to 2,000 Kenya shilling ($40) after sleeping with five or six men.”

She has no hope of returning to school. Her parents are out of work, and Janet’s contributions are vital to her family.

“At first, this job was torture to me,” Kimani said. “Sleeping with these men is terrible, and sometimes they are rough and hurt me. But with time, I have gotten used to it.”

Prostitution has long been a problem in Kenya, particularly on the tourist friendly coast. [snip]

The good news is, they don’t have any sweatshops in that part of the world. Instead of earning $0.75 a day, these children move in big money circles.

Thank you Vermonters and all you caring liberal New Englanders for saving the children from a fate worse than…than a sweatshop.

Archived in: Africa, Asia, Child Labor, Child Prostitution, Liberalism