Walmart Lobbies to Keep Factory Wages Under Two Cents

This is a great article regarding the issues that surround Wal- Mart. The neighborhood store that a majority of Americans shop at fuels slavery in many other countries. Many people ask, what can I do to stop this from happening. Here is something you can do. Stop shopping at Wal- Mart and encourage others to do the same.

by Amanda Kloer

Slave Labor Ever wonder how Walmart can afford to sell a pair of jeans for eight bucks? It’s because workers at the factory in Bangladesh where the jeans are made earn a measly one-and-a-half cents for each pair they sew. To make matters worse, Walmart has been lobbying against a government-supported wage increase, which would bump the workers up to 35 cents an hour. It’s time Walmart stopped exploiting the workers who make the clothes they sell.

The 2500 workers at the Anowara Apparels factory in Bangladesh spend all day sewing jeans, primarily for the Faded Glory brand of clothes sold at Walmart. They are 90% young women, some with families to support and others trying to simply scrape a living together. The women make between 11 and 17 cents an hour sewing jeans, and they’re expected to produce at least ten pairs an hour. That means they make less than two pennies for each pair of jeans they sew. Recognizing the gross underpayment of these workers, the Bangladeshi government has suggested raising the minimum wage to 35 cents an hour. Walmart has responded by lobbying against Bangladesh’s efforts to fairly compensate workers and decided to keep their staff living in abject poverty.

The employees of Anowara Apparels can’t afford even basic living expenses on their salary of pennies an hour. They live in make-shift shacks, suffer from malnutrition, and have no source of heat other than burning wood. Dozens of workers and their families use a communal water pump for all their sanitation needs, from washing clothes and their bodies to drinking. The extra 17 cents per month would double these workers’ salaries, and according to them, make a huge difference in their lives. Yet Walmart is trying to make sure that doesn’t happen, so they can keep selling you $8.00 jeans at a high profit margin.

The story of Anowara Apparels is an example of the high price workers often pay for your discounts. Walmart isn’t able to sell jeans for $8.00 because they’re magical. They are able to sell jeans for $8.oo because they pay the women who make them less than two pennies a pair. So when you see a dirt cheap t-shirt, bargain basement shoes, or any other deal that’s too good to be true, remember that it probably is. And what might be a great deal for you often ends up being a pretty raw one for someone else.

Tell Walmart that it’s time to stop exploiting factory workers in Bangladesh and start paying them the minimum wage. Because some bargains come at far too high a human price

Six-Month Report: Domestically Sex-Trafficked Minors on the Rise in Key States

Internet classifieds are hub of adolescent sex trade in New York, Michigan and Minnesota…
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ — As Deborah Richardson, chief program officer for Women’s Funding Network, is testifying today in Washington, D.C., before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security about the issue of “Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking,” the results of a new study – also released today – indicate Internet classifieds were the predominate hub for trafficking young girls in three states over six months. The ongoing study, commissioned by Women’s Funding Network (WFN), also finds more girls were exploited in August than February of this year.

Conducted by The Schapiro Group, an independent, third-party research firm, the study seeks to quantify the number of adolescent girls victimized by domestic sex trafficking in New York, Michigan and Minnesota, where statewide efforts are ramping up to stop this crime under the leadership of WFN’s local member funds – The New York Women’s Foundation, Michigan Women’s Foundation and Women’s Foundation of Minnesota.

“Our research is imperative to understanding the pervasiveness of this atrocious, abusive crime,” says Chris Grumm, CEO and president of Women’s Funding Network. “It objectively validates that Internet classifieds, without question, are the leading source for criminals to find girls for sex in these states. Understanding the hubs where criminals congregate – and the scope of their victims – drives the development of geographic-specific strategies that give girls access to rehabilitative services while taking sex traffickers off our streets.”

The total number of girls trafficked through Internet classifieds and escort services increased in double-digit percentages in the three states studied over six months:

•New York: 20% increase
•Michigan: 36% increase; and
•Minnesota: 55% increase.

The study included the most popular outlets for domestic minor sex trafficking – the Internet and escort services – and revealed state-specific insights. For example:

•In New York:
•3,454 girls were domestically sex trafficked in August – up from 2,880 in February (20% increase)
•3,415 girls were trafficked through ads posted on Internet classifieds in August – up from 2,830 in February (21% increase)
•Monthly domestic sex trafficking in New York is more pervasive than the state’s annually reported incidents of teen suicide (54 instances); self-inflicted injuries (1,222 instances); or women of all ages killed by breast cancer (2,715 instances)

•In Michigan:
•159 girls were domestically sex trafficked in August – up from 117 in February (36% increase)
•142 girls were trafficked through ads posted on Internet classifieds in August – up from 102 in February (40% increase)
•Only 20% of girls advertised on Internet classifieds in Michigan still appeared in ads two weeks later, which was the lowest “tenure” rate of domestically sex trafficked minors among the three states studied
•Monthly domestic sex trafficking in Michigan is more pervasive than the state’s annually reported incidents of suicide among females under age 25 (31 instances); infants who died from SIDS (46 instances); or females under age 25 killed in car accidents (106 instances)

•In Minnesota:
◦124 girls were domestically sex trafficked in August – up from 80 in February (55% increase)
◦112 girls were trafficked through ads posted on Internet classifieds in August – up from 68 in February (65% increase)
◦The percentage of girls advertised on Internet classifieds increased most dramatically in Minnesota among the states studied during this six-month period
◦Monthly domestic sex trafficking in Minnesota is more pervasive than the state’s annually reported incidents of teen girls who died by suicide, homicide and car accidents (29 instances combined); infants who died from SIDS (6 instances); or women of all ages murdered in one year (37 instances)

“While each state has its own unique situation, this crime is nationwide and deserves national attention,” Grumm says. “Action at the federal and state levels, combined with unwavering support from advocates and everyday citizens, ensures our children are protected from criminals seeking to profit from their innocence.”

About the Study: Adolescent Girls in the United States Sex Trade – Tracking Results for August 2010

The August tracking study is designed to count adolescent girls using scientific probability methods when they are encountered through two sources: ads on Internet classifieds websites and escort services. These are two of the main sources through which johns find girls. The August results are part of a multi-year quarterly tracking study that began in February 2010.

For the counts, researchers called, tracked and calculated all escort service listings, in addition to methodically evaluating placed ads featuring young girls on popular Internet sites being used by johns looking for commercial sex with adolescent girls.

About Women’s Funding Network

As a global network and a movement for social justice, Women’s Funding Network accelerates women’s leadership and invests in solving critical social problems — from poverty to global security — by bringing together the financial power, influence and voices of more than 160 women’s funds. Learn more at http://www.womensfundingnetwork.org.

About The Schapiro Group

The Schapiro Group is a strategic research and consulting firm based in Atlanta that serves a variety of clients, including corporate, government and nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit http://www.schapirogroup.com.

SOURCE Women’s Funding Network

FBI busts child porn operation in Saugus

By David Liscio / The Daily Item

SAUGUS – An FBI sting operation involving Saugus and State Police netted three suspects who allegedly took nude photographs of a 14-year-old girl, posted them on a pornographic Web site and later offered her sexual services to a customer at the Holiday Inn Express on Route 1.

The trio was arrested by Saugus police over the weekend as they drove away from the hotel, still unaware that the customer was an undercover FBI agent, Essex Assistant District Attorney Maria Markos said during arraignment proceedings Monday in District Court.

The defendants were identified as Bennie Robinson, 33, 14 Wilbert Road, Dorchester, Zachary Sargent, 27, 21 Mattapan St., Boston and Nicole Hayward, 19, 13 Nelson Drive, Apt. No. 4, Randolph. All were charged with sex crimes, including inducing a minor to engage in prostitution, lasciviously posing and exhibiting a child in the nude and distributing material of a child in the nude. Hayward was also charged with sexual conduct for a fee, as was the juvenile.

Judge Michael Laurenzano ordered the three adult defendants held without bail pending a Nov. 2 dangerousness hearing.

According to courtroom statements and court documents, Hayward, who is also known as Channelle or Maya, has a criminal record that includes a prostitution case pending in Chelsea District Court. Hayward purportedly befriended the girl through conversation and cell phone text messaging. On Oct. 22, Hayward was allegedly waiting for the girl to return home from school.

“When the school bus dropped her off, Maya was waiting at the end of her street and told her she was coming with her. She then got into the car with Maya and the two other men,” Saugus police reported. According to prosecutors, the three suspects took the girl to the President City Inn at 845 Hancock St. in Quincy. Once inside Room 26, cell phones were used to photograph the girl wearing a red thong in a variety of provocative poses atop the flowered bedspread.

Hayward allegedly downloaded the photos to a laptop computer and using her gmail account posted them on a Web site advertising sex for sale.

Under questioning by state troopers and Boston and Saugus police detectives, the girl said Hayward was on the laptop, apparently chatting with a potential customer who requested two girls be sent to his Saugus hotel room. The customer was told two women would arrive from Quincy in about 45 minutes and that the price was $200, the girl told police, adding that Robinson then asked both Sargent and Hayward if they were armed with knives and that both acknowledged they were.

Police reports indicated the two men remained in the 2000 Acura Integra, which was under surveillance, while Hayward and the girl went to the customer’s room.
The two women left with the cash. The surveillance team in the parking lot followed their car until the signal was given for a marked Saugus police cruiser to make the traffic stop. Hayward was carrying the $200 in marked bills, police said.

Meanwhile, Quincy police secured the hotel room where the illicit photo shoot allegedly occurred. FBI agents and other law enforcement officers later seized the laptop computer and the cell phones in that room.

Court-appointed defense lawyer Jeffrey Sweeney, representing Sargent, said the girl was not physically forced to accompany the others to the Quincy hotel or to Saugus. As a result, the crimes alleged were not committed, he said.

Echoing that argument, public defense counsel Kenneth Schutzer asserted in Robinson’s behalf that the girl was not induced to be photographed or take part in any other activities. No evidence exists that Robinson ever spoke to the girl, said Schutzer, contending that his client’s only offense was being present. “There is no probable cause,” he said.

Markos, the prosecutor, adamantly disagreed. “The crime itself is what she is being induced to do,” she said.

Acknowledging that the accusations contained in the girl’s statement are “incredibly serious,” Judge Laurenzano asked whether the district attorney was looking at what might have happened versus what happened.

“What may result is my argument,” said Markos, emphasizing the young girl could easily be led into a life of prostitution where the dangers, including sexually transmitted diseases and violence, can be life threatening.

Hayward was represented by public defense counsel Joseph DiGiovanni, who said his client may be a victim in the case, given her history of mental illness and hospitalization from ages 11 to 16.

Children Trafficked Into the UK for Child Labour

Although this case was discovered in the UK, this is something that definitely happens in the U.S. However most of the focus on child trafficking is on the issue of sex trafficking. Most people will say, when I was young I use to go and pick berries on my parents farm, etc. There is a big difference in children who are helping their family or friends with chores and then there is labor exploitation. The children who are being used in forced labor do not have the freedom of movement, of choice and a whole slew of human rights are violated on a daily basis. If you take a look at our child labor laws, it covers every industry except our agricultural industry. Many traffickers are aware of this and use this loophole to exploit children.

Please take the time to learn more about the issue. We as Americans need to face the music and understand that there is more than just sex trafficking happening. We need to protect children from all types of exploitation!

The campaigners describe the plight of Romanian girls and boys working as child labour in the spring onions field in Worcestershire.

On Wednesday, as many as seven children, between 9 and 16, were taken away after they were found to work with a group of adults in very cold conditions.

According to the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA), this is for the first time such case of child exploitation and trafficking in farming and food industry sectors have come into light.

A recent report by Ecpat revealed that between April 2009 and June 2010, as many as 215 children from 33 different nations were trafficked into the UK.

The majority of children, almost 97, were brought for the work purposes, that is, for ‘labour exploitation’.

GLA Chairman Paul Whitehouse told the BBC, “We discovered the children working, some of them with their parents but others without and in conditions which, for the adults alone, were appalling”.

The officer, Linda Boyle, said that the children were forced to work from 7.30 am till evening.

The Government presently is thinking about signing up the EU directive on human trafficking, which would provide protection to the victims and make easier to file a case against the traffickers.

Pair accused of pimping girls on Craigslist

DENVER – Two Denver men are accused of running an Internet sex ring and forcing two teenage women into a life of prostitution.

The Colorado Attorney General’s office handed down an indictment against 19-year-old Dallas Cardenas and 23-year-old Ryan Jenkins.

The indictment accuses Cardenas of photographing the two victims, posting the pictures on Craigslist, and arranging meetings with men at hotels and apartments across the metro area earlier this year.

Cardenas is accused of human and child trafficking, in part because the teens were allegedly forced into the sex acts against their will.

“They were connected to Johns and they were pimped out,” said Mike Saccone, spokesman for the Colorado AG’s office. “The Johns would contact the suspects through the Craigslist ads.”

Ryan Jenkins is accused of being the driver for the prostitution ring, as well as possession of Ecstasy at his apartment on 14th street.

Cardenas is behind bars in Jefferson County where he will faces charges of child trafficking, pimping and pandering of a child. Jenkins is still at large.

The Attorney General’s office says the case will be prosecuted by Senior Assistant Attorney General Janet Drake, a member of the Colorado Human Trafficking Task Force

22 men arrested in Internet sting in Citrus County

Great job Citrus County!! I am glad to see that these types of operations are being conducted throughout the State of Florida. Although this is not a sex trafficking sting operation as there was no actual victim that was rescued. The Sheriff’s office used a decoy to set up dates with men(pedophiles). However, can this sting operation be linked to possible trafficking.yes, most definitely. What this shows is that in Citrus county ( as in many other counties throughout Fl) there is definitely a demand for sex with minors. If there is a demand, there will ultimately be a need for supply. With this being said, there is a need to become more aware of what is happening in Citrus County. People in that area need to become aware of the issue of human trafficking as there is a good chance that this is occurring in that part of Florida.

NVERNESS —

Twenty-two men were arrested after deputies said they came to Citrus County to meet underage girls for sex.

“This is the crime you never see,” Citrus County Sheriff Jeff Dawsy said. “This is the crime you may never hear of.”

Most of the men arrested in the operation are from the Bay area, but some came from outside of the area and even from outside of the state.

Detectives said the men believed they were meeting with girls between the ages of 12 and 14 years old. Some of the suspects have criminal histories, but many of them do not.

“A lot of them kept saying it over and over again,” said Lt. David DeCarlo, who assisted with the sting. “They lost their job. A lot of them said it’s the first time this ever happened.”

Some of the suspects have children of their own, detectives said.

“We have a volunteer minister up there,” Dawsy said. “We have a substitute teacher. We have a firefighter up there.”

Dawsy said the problem is much larger than many parents realized, and he urged them to keep close tabs on their children’s Internet habits.

He said the suspects used popular sites like Craigslist, AOL and Yahoo! Messenger in their attempts to solicit sex from underage girls.

“This task force saved 22 young people,” Dawsy said. “Twenty-two young people that would have been sexually assaulted.”

Man gets 20 years in Craigslist child sex trafficking

This is wonderful news. For those of you who may not know, during the Superbowl in Tampa, The FL Coalition Against Human Trafficking and KlaasKids Foundation did outreach for two days and three nights. Our volunteers found evidence of child sex trafficking happening in the area.We found ads on Craigslist from girls that were brought in from as far as Alaska.
Our teams were able to provide potential leads to law enforcement. The next year in Miami. FCAHT, KlaasKids Foundation as well as several other agencies got together and did outreach during the Superbowl in Miami.

Both events were successful and more leads were generated during the second event. I am proud to announce that FCAHT will be conducting this same type of outreach in Orlando this year. I am excited to see what will come from this years Tackle the Traffickers event.

TAMPA – A man convicted of child sex trafficking on Craigslist was sentenced this morning to 20 years in federal prison.

Manuel A. Walcott, 31, and his partner, Pasquale Holt, 25, used the “erotic services” ads on the popular website to offer a 14-year-old girl as a “Super Bowl Special” in 2009 when the football championship game was in Tampa.

Last month, under pressure from Congress and human rights advocates, Craigslist shut down its adult services section. State law enforcement officials wrote Congress in August stating that ads for prostitution, including those trafficking children, were rampant on the site.

Lawmakers and witnesses at a Congressional hearing last month said at least 100,000 minors are exploited by the commercial sex industry in the United States every year.

Walcott was convicted in July of two counts of child sex trafficking and one count of selling or buying a child. Under sentencing guidelines, he faced between 30 years and life in prison.

But Holt, who pleaded guilty, faces about 10 years in prison under the guidelines.

Walcott’s lawyer, Mark O’Brien, argued that Holt was “very clearly the pimp, for lack of a better word.” Given Holt’s likely sentence, O’Brien argued, a 15-year sentence would be reasonable for Walcott.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Shauna Hale disputed that Holt was the leader.

“They were acting together,” she said. “It was Manuel Walcott who was leading Pasquale Holt … down this track.”

“As I recall,” said U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara, “Mr. Holt was intimately involved in this criminal activity. The evidence suggested that he may have been the one who orchestrated it.”

Lazzara said he “will never penalize a defendant because he or she exercised their right, their constitutional right, to a trial by jury.” He said he would vary from the guidelines to avoid a large disparity between sentences for similar defendants in the same crime.

After serving his prison term, Walcott will be on probation for life.

The case was investigated by a law enforcement task force targeting child sex traffickers.

As Tampa was gearing up to host the Super Bowl, undercover agents combed Craigslist looking for juvenile sex trafficking victims. They spotted an ad featuring what appeared to be a girl, and a Tampa police detective placed a call.

The detective was quoted a price of $300 for two girls and told to go to the Marriott hotel at West Shore Boulevard and Cypress Street.

At the hotel, the detective was met by an 18-year-old woman and a girl who claimed to be 17 but was actually 14.

Authorities said the 18-year-old has been a prostitute since she was 16.

Backpage.com to Suspend Certain Areas of Personals and Adult Sections While It Implements Solid Defenses against Misuse In a Proactive Effort to Protect its Advertisers, Users, and Minors Backpage.com Calls For Creation of National Task Force to Fight Illegal Users of Online Classified Sites

PHOENIX, Oct 18, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Backpage.com, a leading online classifieds site, today announced the immediate suspension of certain areas of its personals and adult sections of the site while it continues to develop technologies, features and programs specifically tailored to prevent the misuse of the site and its services. Backpage also calls for the creation of a multi-stakeholder national task force to create best practices in the online classifieds industry to help stop the ability to advertise illegally. Backpage looks to work with its industry brethren like YellowPages.com, Twitter, Yelp, Youtube, and Eros.com, as well as state Attorneys General, law enforcement, and child advocacy groups in solving the challenges facing today’s online classified and personals industry.

“Backpage.com is committed to the safety and security of our users and we recognize the urgency of implementing solid defense mechanisms to combat those intent on misusing the site,” said Steve Suskin, Backpage.com spokesperson. “We are pleased to have already identified some significant changes and are working diligently to implement them.” In addition to the immediate suspension, Backpage.com has begun the process of implementing the following changes to the site to ensure that content posted is legal and consistent with the sites usage policy: The review of all ads and images in the personals and adult sections of the site. The implementation of key word searches to quickly identify banned advertisements and inappropriate discussions. The significant increase in staff to quickly identify illegal ads. The implementation of roadblocks to prevent minors from accessing mature content. The implementation of dedicated tools on the site to educate users regarding online safety and security. The empowerment of users to report abuse and an expeditious process to handle user complaints.

“We’re at the forefront of new frontier in online classified advertising and must join together to create a national task force to overcome the challenges it brings,” said Hemanshu Nigam, Founder, SSP Blue. “I am very pleased with the commitment that Backpage executive leadership has shown in protecting its community and making positive critical changes.” Backpage will continue its productive and cooperative dialogue with state Attorneys General, especially Generals Blumenthal and Koster who are leaders in this area.

For more information about Backpage.com, please visit http://www.backpage.com.

About Backpage.com Backpage.com is a leading online classified site where most categories are free to post. Backpage.com includes partnerships with local newspapers, alternative newsweeklies and other media outlets nation-wide with the goal of bringing new visitors to the site in order to increase user created classified ad visibility.

Backpage.com is dedicated to making sure the site is user-friendly and has technology in place to fight spam in addition to providing users with cutting edge technology tools. Founded in 2004, Backpage.com has grown to be a major online classified site in the United States.

Female Pimps- Myth or Fact?

Most people who speak about the issue of sex trafficking and pimps will mostly focus on the men who force girls/women into the sex industry. However, people need to understand that men are not the only ones who can force a person into the sex industry. There are numerous cases in where woman are the ones who are acting as recruiters, madame or pimps. In regards to the issue of human trafficking, women can be victims and they can also be the victimizers. Let’s not forget that.
Although the majority of the people exploited in the sex industry are girls/women, we need to understand that boys/men can also be exploited in the sex industry. Now one question I have heard is how many boys/men are exploited in the sex industry. To be honest with you, I really don’t think anyone can truly answer this question. In our society we make it very hard for men to report certain crimes, such as domestic violence and sexual exploitation.

As I have mentioned before, human trafficking is not a woman’s issue. This is a human rights issue. Girls, boys, woman and men can be enslaved and exploited. And understand that woman are not just exploited in the sex industry. Labor trafficking, domestic servitude/servile marriage and organ trafficking can all be areas in where woman can be exploited as well.

Woman staying in Danvers pleads guilty to inducing child into prostitution

Danvers — A 34-year-old woman who was staying in a Danvers motel pleaded guilty to inducing a 13-year-old into prostitution in Salem Superior Court on Wednesday, Oct. 13, according to the Essex County District Attorney’s office.

Marian Trinidad, who was staying in a Danvers motel, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to commit a crime, deriving support from child prostitution and inducing a child into prostitution. She was sentenced to two years in prison.

City man goes for fair trade option

Burlington dad Jeff Byam learned a dirty secret of the candy trade in 2009.

“City Market had a table set up by the (Fair Trade company) Equal Exchange. I tried one of their chocolates, and read a postcard that was attached. It described how some chocolate is harvested through forced child labor in the countries that grow the cacao that becomes chocolate.”

According to GlobalExchange.org, up to 284,000 children toil in “abusive labor conditions in West Africa’s cocoa fields.” Two-thirds of these do not attend school, and about 5 percent of them may have been victims of child trafficking.

“There isn’t a lot of awareness about this, and I thought people would make changes if the idea was brought forward. I wanted to give people an alternative,” Byam said.

To do that, Byam contacted the company Equal Exchange, and arranged for special wholesale pricing so that he could place a large order of individually wrapped chocolates for neighbors, friends and members of his church to distribute at Halloween. He said, “It can be expensive to buy these items in the store, but making it affordable means that more people can consider it.”

He pointed out, “But while it does cost more, paying more means that farmers are compensated fairly for what they do.”
And for this father of two, knowing that this can help farm families in far-off places to earn a decent living, that’s a sweet outcome.

Most of the area’s natural foods and grocery stores stock fair trade options. And if interested in a wholesale option, Byam is placing his 2010 Halloween candy order Monday. E-mail Free Press Correspondent Cheryl Herrick at herrickvt@burlingtontelecom.net for more information.

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Monthly Archives: October 2010