Unsafe Labor Conditions in Bangladesh
Purpose of Project
Modern Day "Mockingbirds"
Social Context: "The Disease"
In To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus mentions that he doesn't want Scout or Jem to catch Maycomb's "usual disease." Maycomb's "usual disease" is the white people treating the African american community poorly because they are different. Tim Johnson, a dog who had rabies, was killed just because he was different and viewed as harmful to the community of Maycomb.
The people who are working in the factories are being treated unfairly. They are working in these factories because they need the money for themselves and their families. Their bosses know this so they think it is okay to make them work in such terrible conditions, because they know they won't quit, because they need the money. They are being taken advantage of, and just like Tim Johnson and the African American community in Maycomb, people don't care what happens to them.
Becoming Atticus Finch
Like Atticus, we are responding to this social injustice by trying to take action. These actions relate to Atticus' idea of courage because even if the labor conditions still aren't great, we know we did try to help make them better than they were before, and even when the workers knew that striking would only hurt them more, they still did it because they wanted their working conditions to change.
Atticus' definition of courage:
It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do (p. 149).
In To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus is told to shoot Tim Johnson because he had rabies and they didn't want it to spread all over town. Tim Johnson continued to slowly make his way towards Atticus, while Atticus was getting ready to shoot. Atticus had not shot a gun in a long time and was not sure how good his aim would be, but when it was time, he got the gun ready and shot Tim Johnson on the first try. Atticus knew it wasn't right to kill an innocent creature, but because it was for the good of everyone else in town, Atticus did it. Tim Johnson showed courage because, even though he knew he didn't stand a chance of staying alive, he continued to walk towards Atticus.
Washington is working with Bangladesh to help organizations get more members, form legally registered unions, and participate in collective bargaining. The U.S. needs to make sure that the labor law reforms are implemented correctly and we should increase funding's for groups that support workers. To change the system completely, tough punishments should also be enforced upon the factory owners who participate in anti-union activity. American and European companies are trying to come up with common standards for building and fire safety, and a five year plan signed by eighty-one retailers was announced to improve working conditions. The U.S. is trying to help by making sure the workers don't suffer, that they can have a good way to complain if any labor violations occur, and to put an end to violence. Many north american retailers have already come together to create a five year plan to improve the safety of buildings in Bangladesh. Permits are now required if you want to add another floor to a building and insurance is mandatory.