Workers Tell All

The 13-hour days she spent making clothing amounted to a frugal pay, she said, that was supposed to be enough to feed her five children and pay her rent and utilities.

And until recently, that’s how the single mother supported herself and her family. After growing tired of the long days and small earnings, Savin said, she decided to form her own union – a step she thought would help bring higher wages to Cambodians working in the factory.

She was wrong. Shortly after she began organizing activities for co-workers, she was fired from the company.

Now, as vice president of the Coalition of Cambodia Apparel Workers Democratic Union, Savin, 39, is sharing her story with others, hoping it will persuade people to think before making pur-chases.

On Wednesday, Savin, along with representatives of SweatFree Communities – an organization against sweatshops – shared her story with area residents during the 2008 Wal-Mart Sweatshop Workers Speaking Tour held in the family center of St. Joseph Catholic Church at Dover.

More than 50 people attended the event, which was held to encourage Americans to urge officials of the retail giant to enforce their code of conduct.

In addition to Savin, those in attendance heard from a 41-year-old Costa Rican, Didier Leiton, who spent 17 years working as a produce farmer on pineapple and banana plantations.

Like Savin, he, too, received a small wage – $1.09 an hour – from his company, which like the business Savin worked for supplied its goods to Wal-Mart.

“The company doesn’t give minimum wage,” he said. “It makes life of a farm worker more difficult; it’s not enough to buy food and there’s poor nutrition. There’s not enough (money) for education and less and less kids get to go to school. It’s even harder (to afford) college.”

To combat the grave working conditions, he also tried to form a union – a step that not only got him fired but got him blacklisted from all other produce companies as well.

“I was fired because I wanted to fight for my rights,” he said. “I wanted to be part of a union.”

Savin and Leiton said they hope their stories are the push area residents need to start making changes. They asked that all those who support their cause let their voices be heard by holding companies responsible, contacting their congressmen and congresswomen and by buying fair-trade products.

However, the two said they know more needs to be done for changes to be made at the state and/or federal level, but the beginning steps are essential.

“Farm workers give their lives on plantations to produce fresh fruit of good quality to be shipped to other countries like the United States,” Leiton said. “We deserve a better quality of life and need to be treated like valuable human beings.”