speedo sweatshops

RE: speedo sweatshops

Former Member — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:26:28 GMT

Unfortunately the garment industry has a long history of exploiting workers. There was a brief period of time ('50s and '60s) when North Americans were buying clothes from North American factories and paying prices that reflected a living wage for the machine operators. Store-bought clothes were more expensive then, which is why so many people made their own. Somewhere along the line we got the idea that clothes should be really cheap and almost disposable. That meant outsourcing to poorer countries. As someone on my favorite sewing site once put it: "People who don't sew think that clothes just magically appear in the discount stores courtesy of the Third World Labour Fairies." How ironic that the one thing garment workers in communist China really could stand to copy from capitalist North America is... a labour union.

RE: speedo sweatshops

Former Member — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 11:02:24 GMT

so fellow masters, would someone more skilled than i draft a letter that we may copy, paste, sign and forward to those at speedo corporate headquaters, usms, usa swimming, and another entities that might be able to pressure said company into monitoring the factories of manufacture and assembly for civilized treatment of its workers? or....we could talk about steroids some more.

RE: speedo sweatshops

Former Member — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 06:07:11 GMT

There is almost no product available that is not made in a terrible situation right now. It is not just clothing. Many of the products we purchase in our grocery stores are packaged in horrible conditions. Did you know th at When Pres. Clinton was the gov of Arkansas, Tyson Foods got special exemptions so that women stood in cold water while they were cutting and packing chickensome argue that we couldn't afford to live our daily lives if it weren't for horrible work conditions. Somewhat off of th esubject, a great new book by Rav Patel, I might have the words in the wrong order. Stuffed and Starved. It is about th echoices or lack there of concernign the foods we eat and how they effect the world we live in.

RE: speedo sweatshops

Former Member — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:59:57 GMT

They hide the fact that if your UE benifits run out and have given up searching for work, you are not counted in their figures. Or if you are working at a part time job without benifits you are not counted either.George - Canada's unemployment rate is currently at 30 year lows. It's a global economy and Canada is clearly benefiting from it.

RE: speedo sweatshops

Former Member — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:03:42 GMT

The abuse that goes on carries over to the abuse that happens here. There is no work here for the workers displaced by sending jobs overseas.

RE: speedo sweatshops

Former Member — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:01:20 GMT

She and the others sort of are competing naked. The suits have a transparency under certain conditions. Lots of chatter when Phelps did his infamous Vitruvian man pose in front of the camera flashes. Will the new USA flag "art" on the LZR take care of that transparency?

RE: speedo sweatshops

Former Member — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:36:46 GMT

She can now compete naked because our suits are made under terrible conditions. She and the others sort of are competing naked. The suits have a transparency under certain conditions. Lots of chatter when Phelps did his infamous Vitruvian man pose in front of the camera flashes.

RE: speedo sweatshops

Former Member — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:20:00 GMT

Amanda has the answer. She can now compete naked because our suits are made under terrible conditions.

RE: speedo sweatshops

Former Member — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:03:49 GMT

i think this might be a good cause for amanda and the rest of them to go naked! (i could get behind that) i won't be shedding my speedo for the lake champlain swim this saturday. (sea lamprey phobia)

RE: speedo sweatshops

Former Member — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:01:53 GMT

do we care? should we (usms and usa swimming) act? Amanda has the answer.

RE: speedo sweatshops

Former Member — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:59:00 GMT

I'm not sure, but those of us in the USA might be appalled to learn that a great many of the products we buy and use everyday (that are imported) come from less than desirable working conditions. The Olympics bring a focus to China in particular, but there are plenty of dangerous and abusive work environments around the globe funded by our consumption-based economy. Try to find a reasonably priced shoe not made in China these days... Look at some of the raids done here in the states where illegals are working! Guarantee we wouldn't work under those conditions!!!!! Owners of these companies should be made to work there for a couple of months under the same conditions.

RE: speedo sweatshops

Former Member — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:39:56 GMT

If Speedo is a partner or preferred vendor of USMS, then perhaps USMS should have a policy statement, one that would apply to third-party vendors as well, such as SwimOutlet. However, I would not put the onus on a volunteer organization. An Olympics season is a good time to draw attention, especially if the LZR suits are on the podium. VB though usms is primarily a volunteer org, there are some 40,000 members, add children, spouses etc and i would say that the potential number of swim product consumers is a couple of hundred thousand (off the top of my head) a force sufficient to send a message to any company competing for their expendable income.

RE: speedo sweatshops

mctrusty — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:22:49 GMT

Maybe we should switch to Nike. Someone needs to get all Samuel Gompers up in thur.

RE: speedo sweatshops

aquageek — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:18:11 GMT

The abuse that goes on carries over to the abuse that happens here. There is no work here for the workers displaced by sending jobs overseas. George - Canada's unemployment rate is currently at 30 year lows. It's a global economy and Canada is clearly benefiting from it.

RE: speedo sweatshops

Former Member — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:45:31 GMT

ok so to get back on track: should usms demand a certain standard of treatment for the employees of sponsor companies. there are other swimwear options (i do love my endurance suits but would be more than willing to shift my support/purchases to a brand that could prove better conditions for its workers. would you? noodles, pack your own lunch.

RE: speedo sweatshops

Former Member — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:11:47 GMT

"Company Food is Awful, Workers Try to Survive 38 Cents per Meal" What can you expect for 38 cents? I pay 30 times that much and my company food sucks too.:frustrated:

RE: speedo sweatshops

ViveBene — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:29:33 GMT

Senate testimony concerning Speedo, October 25, 2007: www.nlcnet.org/article.php SEC filings, including quarterly and annual reports, Warnaco Group: www.warnaco.com/.../

RE: speedo sweatshops

Redbird Alum — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:23:53 GMT

Look at some of the raids done here in the states where illegals are working! Guarantee we wouldn't work under those conditions!!!!! Owners of these companies should be made to work there for a couple of months under the same conditions. And this could be extended to the many food products we enjoy year 'round... so... back to Ulster's original thread questions of "Should we care?" and "Should USMS act?" From an individual point, it comes down to researching and making buying decisions based on each supplying company's record. From USMS' perspective, unless FINA acts, then USMS could be putting its athletes at a disadvantage in international competition.

RE: speedo sweatshops

swimcat — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:06:15 GMT

there was a similar discussion for the winter olympics for the uniforms for the volonteers and paid workers. they had tags sewn in that said made in italy but it was obvious that asics had them made in china. the red dye , dyed our white shirts red. most of the italians were indignant, i mean let's be straight, all the major designers unless it is couture have things made in indonisia, china, honduras etc..

RE: speedo sweatshops

Redbird Alum — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:55:07 GMT

RE: speedo sweatshops

ViveBene — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:30:12 GMT

I'm not sure that individuals boycotting would do too much good (because serious swimmers probably make up only a tiny fraction of the customer base), but keeping steady pressure on publicly might do a lot. For some earlier experiences, google "Liz Claiborne sweatshops." Here's an excerpt from one article: "Then there are the tougher issues that even companies such as Reebok haven't yet grappled with. How can companies respect workers' rights to collectively bargain in China, say, which bans free unions and often doesn't enforce its own labor laws, impressive as they are on paper? Nor have most Western companies improved wages, which are often below what even governments like Indonesia define as enough to support a family." The article: www.businessweek.com/.../b3706008.htm I think it would take high-profile celebrity swimmers -- Speedo's ambassadors -- and I think it could help. If Speedo is a partner or preferred vendor of USMS, then perhaps USMS should have a policy statement, one that would apply to third-party vendors as well, such as SwimOutlet. However, I would not put the onus on a volunteer organization. An Olympics season is a good time to draw attention, especially if the LZR suits are on the podium. VB

RE: speedo sweatshops

Former Member — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 07:02:18 GMT

You'll need a longer pole that that if you want the flag to hang properly... Man, I'm slow today - it took me about 2 minutes to figure that one out.

RE: speedo sweatshops

Former Member — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 05:32:16 GMT

Will the new USA flag "art" on the LZR take care of that transparency? You'll need a longer pole that that if you want the flag to hang properly...

RE: speedo sweatshops

aquageek — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 01:29:13 GMT

They hide the fact that if your UE benifits run out and have given up searching for work, you are not counted in their figures. Or if you are working at a part time job without benifits you are not counted either. If the methods of calculating unemployment have always done this then your argument is irrelevant. It still does not support your assertion. But, as expected, there's some conspiracy. As I'm sure you've read, in-sourcing is on the rise also.