ABSTRACT
The “return of the sweatshop” generated international outrage at the end of the twentieth century, as it had at its dawn. The low wages and exploitative working conditions throughout Asia and the Americas provided by brand-name manufacturers and retailers like Nike, Gap, Target, and Walt Disney aroused public indignation. Human rights groups and trade unions—notably the National Labor Committee, Global Exchange, Sweatshop Watch, and UNITE! (Union of Needle-trades, Industrial and Textile Employees)—sought to turn purchasing power into a weapon for social justice. They created graphic exhibits, filed class-action lawsuits, and instigated boycotts, appealing to consumers to reject goods produced under “unfair” conditions. A worldwide movement pushed the International Labour Organization (ILO) to pass a convention that applies labor standards to home-based workers. A revival of student activism emerged in support of worker rights, staging sit-ins to force universities to contract for logo bearing clothing with only those apparel manufacturers who meet stringent codes of conduct. 1
