All we know is that while there may have been some problems here in the past, we've worked very hard to clean them up, and any federal takeover would simply make matters worse. Amid the growing controversy, the industry has tried to put its best foot forward. This week, Saipan's largest garment manufacturer, Tan Holdings Corp., showed reporters around its factories and employee bunkhouses. The company, still nervous about publicity, did not allow photographs. Three subsidiaries owned by the company's owner, Hong Kong- based shipping and gambling tycoon Willie Tan, are defendants in last week's lawsuit.
Some impartial observers dispute whether conditions are as bad as the plaintiffs allege.
These observers say that in the past year, the garment industry has reacted to the accusations by fixing the worst problems. We will continue to hold employers accountable and will work to get U.S. minimum wage standards . . . In fact, they've probably improved some. What's more important is that none of these abuses are permitted under U.S. law, and the Northern Marianas shouldn't be able to pick and choose between the laws of the land just to benefit a few people. The legal arguments, however, pale beside the overwhelming daily reality of an economy totally dependent on an imported proletariat.