Proposal Paper: Justification Statement

               A solution implemented at the federal level in the United States is the only solution that has the chance of ridding the earth of unethical production practices. Not only is it the most prudent solution, but also it’s the most economically feasible one. The only participants being economically effected are the corporations who practicing unethical production. This is because their production costs will increase because their subcontracted workers will be getting paid a higher hourly wage. The loss in profits that these companies will incur is so small compared to their overall economic profits that it will barely be felt. As a whole this solution has the least amount of negative consequences and the consequences that do exist are felt by the entities that can handle them.

               The most obvious solution for the problem at hand would be for American citizens to stop consuming products made by companies who are unethically producing them. The problem with this solution is that these products are the cheapest products on the market. The majority of consumers are only looking for the cheapest products rather than the ethically produced ones. Therefore, leaving it up to American consumers to solve this problem will have no positive effect. Another solution that is quite obvious is the enforcement of building codes and working standards. The problem with this solution is that most of these countries have corrupt governments that have no say over what factory owners do. When constructing a factory the proprietor, partnership, or corporation that is supplying the money is looking to build in the cheapest way possible. This mentality is what leads to the poor structure conditions, and the governments in these developing countries have no control over it. Also, due to their corrupt governments, a minimum wage cannot be enforced. Subcontractors are looking to maximize their profits, and because of this mindset they pay their workers low wages. Therefore, they will continue to pay their workers this amount until they are forced to do otherwise. A solution at the federal level in developing countries is just not feasible due to their governments’ current conditions.

               The idea of forcing American companies to allow inspectors into their overseas factories in order to write a report about working conditions is something that has been proven to better working conditions.  In the early 1990's, news that Nike was producing their products in poor working conditions was publicized. Workers were being paid wages that they could not support a family with and were working in conditions that were unsuitable for any human being. When the news broke and it became a large story in every newspaper, protests against Nike’s products began to occur. As Nike’s executives watched their revenue decrease, they realized that they needed to do something. They began to shift their production to safer factories and began to demand that their subcontractors pay their workers high wages. They followed this up by having inspectors go to their factories in developing countries and have them write up a 108 page report about the working conditions. This report is made public for all of American citizens to see. By making it public, they are forcing their selves to maintain good working conditions because they know that if not they will lose profits. Due to the fact that every American company is looking to maximize their profits, the publication of a report highlighting their working conditions in overseas factories will have large positive effects in the ethical sector of production.