In 2-3 paragraphs, please reflect upon the following article and place it in conversation with this week’s readings on globalization and women’s labor. What is the importance of labor unions here and abroad? Why are they particularly important for women laborers? How do union concerns here in the United States relate to union concerns in the “developing world”? (hint: consider free trade agreements). Can you imagine unions being a point of transnational solidarity for workers? Why?
As shown in the article, the triangle shirtwaist was the beginning of long fight for women’s rights in the work place. The importance of labor unions here in the United States is not only important for women but for men too, both of the individuals deserve to make above minimum wage and have safe working conditions. The article states that the factory had mostly Jewish and Italian girls, so not only did women not have rights in the factories but it was mostly women of other ethnicities and women from a lower class. Since most women who work in factories here in the United States are of classified as lower class in society they are not of much concern, since people of the higher class do not have to deal with issues like this at hand. Since most the large corporations want to lower labor cost send their companies factories over seas, it is our job to make to put up a fight. A fight that would help women overseas gets the same factory rights as women in the United States. If unions ever became a point of transnational solidarity of workers in the factory, it would be amazing. However, I feel as if the companies that brought their factories across seas for lower labor cost would bring the factories back to the United States.
ReplyDelete“From the Triangle Fire to Wisconsin, Rights for Women Workers” article and the readings this week focusing on globalization and women’s labor has really enlightened me on women’s rights and working conditions and what has been going on in this area. Labor unions are there to create a safe working environment and help industrial workers with any legal situations they have concerning labor. In “The Globetrotting Sneaker” can relate to the women in this article because they were being denied the right of organizing a union. There working environments were really dangerous and still weren’t allowed to have the rights a union gives. Once something bad happens, like a fire, in the workplace was finally when something was able to get done about the working conditions. Trade agreements are made among governments for goods to be processed between the countries.
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