Made in _____

Hale, A. & Wills, J. (2005). Threads of labour: Garment industry supply chains from the workers’ perspective.  Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.

This book discusses the globalization of the garment industry and the effects on its mostly female workforce from poor countries in the southern hemisphere.  Large garment companies no longer have big factories on their home soil.  Instead, they subcontract out to supply chains with the lowest bid.  Women that work for these smaller subcontracted companies often endure terrible working conditions including long hours, forced overtime, few bathroom breaks, unsafe and unhealthy conditions, and sexual harassment.  The authors’ thesis is that helping these workers unite and organize will change their conditions.  A globalized workplace demands a globalized effort to fight for workers’ rights.  Hale and Willis provide research collected from different companies in different countries to make their case.

The fashion industry drives the demand for a constant supply of new and affordable clothing. This book demonstrates the vulnerability of women’s position in the world, as well as the vulnerability of people living in the Third World.  The authors paint a vivid picture of women’s plight, but also their courage and strength evident in their efforts to win better working conditions. In this system, buying garments is participation, but most participants are unaware of the connection between consumer and the worker at the bottom of the supply chain.