What Does Sweatshop Mean?

Commonly found in the clothing industry, "sweatshops" are factories in which laborers receive poor pay and work in unsafe conditions. In the United States, sweatshops are often staffed by immigrant workers who put in long hours without overtime pay.

Los Angeles

According to DoSomething.org, an activist website, 67 percent of clothing factories in Los Angeles violate minimum wage and overtime laws. Ninety-eight percent of these factories require laborers to work under unsafe conditions, including blocked fire exits and unsanitary bathrooms.

Pay

Sweatshop workers are usually paid less than minimum wage and, in some instances, piece rate. Piece rate means that workers are paid for the amount of items produced during a work shift. In order to earn enough pay to provide for their needs, piece rate sweatshop workers need to work hard and put in long hours to maximize the amount of items produced.

Abuses

Sweatshop workers throughout the world are sometimes subjected to physical abuse. According to Global Exchange, an education and action organization, Mexican sweatshop workers have reported that they have been hit or slapped by shop supervisors for not producing quickly enough.

References

• Global Exchange: Sweatshops FAQ
• DoSomething.org: Background on Sweatshops
• Princeton University: Word Search: Sweatshop