Shopping for Bargains/My Mother Taught Me to Shop
My mother taught me to shop carefully, counting out cash and paying a bargain price for my momentary “heart’s desire.” At the time, she worked at Solo Serve, a local off-priced clothing store whose signs warned, “look for defects.” No problem. My grandmother taught me to sew. I could correct the defects. I could even make my own clothes and understood the difficulty, both in physical exertion and mental concentration, of creating a garment. Back then, a few clothes still had “made in the USA” Union labels sewn on the inside of the collar. A lot has changed since then.
We’ve become a consumer society. Today overindulging is normal, and thanks to credit cards, we act as if constant shopping is an inalienable right. As a result, our clothes, no matter how loved or comfortable, are often seen as disposable. So, we buy new things to make us look good and feel good about ourselves, preferably at a bargain price.
We seldom consider the workers who make our clothes and what they receive – or are denied – for their labors. Often those seamstresses and tailors, located in so-called Third World countries, work long hours for little money and have few rights as workers so that the companies who employ them can sell to us at a cheaper price for a bigger profit.
In an article titled “Blood Money” which appeared in The New Republic in 2019, I confronted wage theft and anti-union practices in those “Third World” factories. Looking at the labels tucked into my clothes and into every garment in every store in America – even high-end shops – I realized that my clothes have two prices: the cost to me when I purchase the garment, and the cost to workers making my garment. I was ready to pay. They shouldn’t have to.
What’s the solution? Worker Rights Consortium. WRC works for the workers, allowing them to form unions, reclaim lost wages, and obtain better working conditions. The next time you go shopping for those “made in India,” “made in Indonesia,” (anywhere but the USA) labels, think about WRC. Then go to your computer, click on Worker Rights Consortium, raise your shopping consciousness, and DONATE to WRC so that they can take care of the people who make your clothes.
Welcome to a world of limitless possibilities, where the journey is as exhilarating as the destination, and where every moment is an opportunity to make your mark on the canvas of existence. The only limit is the extent of your imagination.
Kathy Vargas 