Laborrights

ECO201 – Macroeconomics

Unit 8 Assignment: International Labor Rights

Due: Sunday by 11:59 pm at the end of Unit 8.

International Labor Rights

U.S. imports of manufactured goods have increased in recent years raising questions about the

conditions of workers producing those goods. For this week’s assignment, respond to the

following key questions.

Key questions:

 First, provide a brief (one paragraph) overview of this week’s material.

 Discuss whether or not workers are exploited in manufacturing of US imports. In your

response consider whether they are better off in that type of job or an alternative. Provide a

rationale.

 Examine whether or not US consumers should boycott or increase in the purchase of these goods and the effects that boycott or increase in purchase would have on the workers.

 Should standards be set for work rules in other countries? Or, should work rules be left to the political system in a particular country?

 If work rules are set, who should set them and how should they be enforced?

For information in support of your efforts:

For arguments in favor of rules see:

Workers’ Rights Consortium at: http://www.workersrights.org/

Fair Labor Association at: http://www.fairlabor.org/

Union of Needle trades, Industrial and Textile Employees at: http://www.uniteunion.org

For arguments against the rules see:

Business for Social Responsibility at: http://www.bsr.org/

National Center for Policy Analysis at: http://www.ncpa.org

For other articles see:

Kristof, Nicholas D. and Sheryl Wudunn, "Two Cheers for Sweatshops” at:

http://www.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20000924mag-sweatshops.html

Tim Vickery, "Who's Watching the Shop Floor?"

http://www.fordschool.umich.edu/rsie/acit/Documents/ChristianSciMon8May2001.txt

For further information sites please see:

University Policy Statements, Designated Suppliers Program, Worker’s Rights Consortium at:

http://www.workersrights.org/dsp.asp

Mishra, Praci and Petia Topalova, "How Does Globalization Affect Developing Countries?”

September, 2007 at: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/irb/2007/eng/03/index.pdf

Key trade statistics from the WTO, organized by country at:

http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/org6_e.htm

Bhagwati, Jagdish and T.N. Srinivasan, "Trade and Poverty in the Poor Countries" at:

http://www.econ.yale.edu/~srinivas/trade_poverty.pdf

“Why economists are wrong about sweatshops and the anti-sweatshop movement,” at:

http://www.fordschool.umich.edu/rsie/acit/Documents/Miller-Challenge.doc

University of Wisconsin at: http://www.news.wisc.edu/packages/sweatshops/

Your final product will be a paper that:

 Addresses each of the topic/questions above in total.

 Is APA fortatted.

 The body is to be 2 pages minimum.

The requirements for your assignment are:

1. Answer each question fully

2. Define the overall subject of each question.

3. Cite at least three (3) resources from this week’s materials.

Students: Be sure to read the criteria and review the grading rubric on the next page, by

which your paper/project will be evaluated, before you write, and again after you write.

Evaluation Rubric for Unit 8Assignment

CRITERIA Deficient Proficient Exemplary Points

Earned

Overview of the

Topic 0-13 Points

Does not provide an

adequate overview

or is missing.

14-22 Points

Overview is

presented, though

may not be clear or

complete.

38-30 Points Overview is clearly

presented including

all criteria outlined

above.

Complete

Answers 0-11 Points Questions

unanswered and/or

poorly answered.

12-23 Points All questions

answered with 1-2

sentence inputs.

24-45 Points

All questions

answered with depth

and clarity.

References to

Course Materials 0-5 Points Less than 3

references, no

assimilation to the

questions.

6-10 Points 3 references,

minimal

assimilation to the

questions.

11-15 Points 4 or more references

and assimilations

show depth and

clarity.

APA Format 0-1 Point Format has errors

that impede

professional

presentation; and/or

APA not followed,

reference page

missing.

2-3 Points APA format and

reference page has

few errors that do

not impede

professional

presentation.

4-5 Points APA format and

reference page is

clear, professional,

and error free.

Writing Quality 0-1 Point More than 7 writing

errors, to include

spelling and

punctuation.

2-3 Points More than 4 writing

errors, to include

spelling and

punctuation.

4-5 Points No writing errors.

Total 100