Date: 2013-05-15
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. little more than 100 years ago. a New York State assemblyman was an eyewitness to one of our Nations worst industrial tragediesthe Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire. He recounted how he saw girl after girl appear in the reddened windows. pause for a terrified moment. and then leap to the pavement below. to land as a mangled. bloody pulp. He said it went on for what seemed like a ghastly eternity. and described how the firemens life nets were torn by the impact of falling bodies. This inferno at a sweatshop garment factory in New York City employed mostly poor. immigrant women. One hundred fortysix workers died that day because it lacked proper stairways. fire escapes. and managers had locked all of the exits. This tragedy shook our Nation and led to lifesaving workplace safety reforms. A century later. I recently met a young Bangladeshi garment worker named Sumi. She. too. jumped from a window of the Tazreen garment factory. She survived. but 12 of her coworkers who jumped with her did not. More than 100 others who never had the opportunity to jump were found inside of the factory dead. This haunting tragedy has many parallels to the Triangle fire: exit doors were locked. fire extinguishers were not working. fire codes went unenforced. We dont tolerate those workplace conditions in the United States anymore. but those are deadly conditions that are tolerated in other countries that make the clothing that we wear. These tragedies have moved from New York to Bangladesh. driven by the business models and global supply chains of the worlds leading retailers and clothing brands. But now Bangladesh has had what might be its own Triangle Shirtwaist fire. On April 24. more than 1.100 people died as Rana Plaza and its garment factories collapsed. Some 2.000 more were injured. and rescuers are still pulling bodies out 3 weeks later. There have been an additional 40 fires. explosions. and other incidents between the Tazreen fire and the Rana Plaza tragedies. Its simply a matter of time before there is another one. These incidents shocked people around the globe and laid bare the need for bold action. The lives of 4 million workers in these factories are counting on bold action. But not everyone has been shocked. Major American retailers and clothing brands have refused to change the way they conduct business in Bangladesh. the second largest garment producer in the world after China. They are hoping instead that the heightened attention will pass without having to change their business model. That business model pits sweatshop against sweatshop. country against country. in a race to the bottom to rake in billions of dollars in profits while paying as little as 22 cents per shirt. In Bangladesh. American and international companies flourish in this system. companies we all know like Walmart. the Gap. JCPenney. and The Childrens Place. just to name a few. They refuse to accept responsibility. So what can be done to improve the Bangladeshi factory safety? Certainly there are things local government can do: address corruption that allows unsafe. dangerous structures. enforce safety codes. defend the right of workers to form unions and to have workers be able to refuse unsafe work. The Bangladeshi Government is scrambling to implement limited reforms. hoping to keep the industry that is critical to its economy. but only the retailers and brands can put a floor under this race to the bottom. The economic power rests with them. That is why the announcement this week by major European companies and one American company that they have signed a binding and enforceable fire and building safety agreement for Bangladesh factories is so significant. H&M. Zara. Primark. and C&A are to be applauded for their unprecedented and bold steps. They have been joined by only one American company. PhillipsVan Heusen. which has Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger among its brands. and one major German retailer. But now El Corte Ingles. Marks & Spencer. Mango. and Benetton have also agreed to sign this enforceable agreement. The agreement provides for independent safety inspections with public reports. mandatory repairs and renovations. money to fund the necessary safety upgrades. the right of workers to refuse unsafe work. and the vital role of workers and unions. This agreement is truly unprecedented. But where are the other American companies? Where are the American retailers? Where are the American clothing brands? Where is Walmart? Where is JCPenney? Where is the Gap? Where is The Childrens Place? Their silence in the face of this tragedy is inexcusable. They should sign the binding safety agreement to protect Bangladeshi workers. They should sign it now. Experts estimate safety improvements under this plan would cost about a dime a garment. A dime for the life of these women. I urge all Americans to join in demanding that the American retailers and fashion brands stop selling their bloodstained labels and sign the enforceable agreement to protect these Bangladeshi women.