Thursday, December 26, 2013

Remembering Ethics in Industry ...........A Photo Collage

"I hope we shall crush in its birth (of our nation)  the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country."

Thomas Jefferson



In 1844 the Factory Acts were passed to address the injustice of exploitative child labor. These acts addressed the working conditions that children and women had to work in.  All women and young persons (13-18) were limited to work for only 12 hours and children under 13 could only work for under 6 ½ hours. In addition, all children under 8 could not be employed in factories. This was a continuation of the first factory acts in 1833, and there were 3 more factory acts to follow.  

Eventually  child labor, and slavery, were outlawed in the U.S.  Later came environmental protection laws, affirmative action in the labor market, decent work environment protection,  and pensions for retirees. 

 And also anti-trust laws to limit corporate power.




Faces of the past.



Just about everything we buy now does away with those laws. 

 

 

Faces of  today.

 


 

Do you know where your chocolate comes from?
  It might not be so appetizing......

“The history of the twentieth century was dominated by the struggle against totalitarian systems of state power. The twenty-first will no doubt be marked by a struggle to curtail excessive corporate power.”  

 Eric Schlosser

1 comment:

Trish and Rob MacGregor said...

This is a powerful 60s statement, Lauren. Beautiful and humbling.