In The News

Nike Lists Abuses at Asian Factories

David Teather April 15, 2005
Multinational apparel companies like Nike have long been accused of running their factories abroad as sweatshops, milking the desperation of poor workers in the name of the bottom line. In a report released by the company itself, Nike further substantiates the allegations of abuse. The report details the terrible working conditions in many of Nike's factories across East Asia and other...

China's Strategy Gives it the Edge in the Battle of Two Sock Capitals

Don Lee April 12, 2005
At first glance, the Robin-Lynn Mills sock factory in Fort Payne, Alabama, seems impressive – with some the world's most advanced knitting machines, costing over US$25,000 each, a single sock is spun in 75 seconds. The Three Star factory in the Chinese city of Datang, on the other hand, stands in stark contrast: Its machines only cost US$1000 and take much longer to complete a sock....

Shipments of Children

Carlos H. Conde April 8, 2005
According to recent UNICEF estimates, human trafficking worldwide is now a US$10 billion industry. Most trafficked persons tend to be children. Filipino officials and NGO-workers are witnessing a disturbing rise in child trafficking within and through the Philippines. Smugglers lure young girls from the impoverished provinces to Manila by promising lucrative jobs in the capital. Once brought to...

‘Food Should Be Left Off the Free Trade Table’ - José Bové

April 6, 2005
At the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization, Bové attended a workshop with prominent Yale scholars and others in the university community to discuss the status of the global peasant movement and the core issues in his work. A full transcript follows. – YaleGlobal

‘Food Should Be Left Off the Free Trade Table’

April 6, 2005
Many economists believe that trade liberalization is the main driving force that created today's dynamic international market. The increasing exchange of goods and services produced and sold around the world have far-reaching implications for different localities – for better and for worse. One important area of world trade concerning this local and global relationship is agriculture, which...

As China Sews, Few US Mills Left

Patrik Johnsson April 6, 2005
Towns like Erwin, North Carolina, are examples of the devastating impact of the mobility of textile manufacturing. Once a capital of denim fabrication, today Erwin is desolate and has few jobs to offer its citizens. Erwin's difficulties are linked to the greater decline of US textile mills – the number of people employed in them has dropped to 670,000 from 1.6 million in 1994 - and the rise...

Opponents of Wal-Mart to Coordinate Efforts

Steven Greenhouse April 5, 2005
Is Wal-Mart bad for workers? The global retailing giant says that consumers benefit from its consistently low prices. Critics, however, contend that those low prices are built on poverty-level wages and minimal benefits. In the United States, a newly formed alliance of labor unions, environmentalists, community organizations, and students will pressure Wal-Mart to change the way it does business...