Sweatshops are an environmental issue. The global economy has resulted in severe environmental destruction as companies move their facilities across borders to avoid stringent environmental regulations. The increase in air pollution, ozone layer depletion, acid rain, the contamination of the ocean, and disrupted ecosystems are all results of the global economy. Worker housing, sanitation, and water adds up to an unhealthy living environment. In the sweatshops there is poor ventilation causing allergies and chest infections.
Sweatshops are a domestic issue.
Well-paying jobs in the apparel industry have dried up in the US in the last decade while the number of sweatshops, here and abroad, has increased. The Department of Labor estimates that at least half of the country s 22,000 apparel shops can be classified as sweatshops. Most of the workers in this country are immigrants and female. It is clear from these examples that sweatshop exploitation affects many people, in diverse ways, by violating their rights as individuals. The Sweat-Free IU campaign is part of a growing national movement at over 30 universities and 150 colleges.