Let’s talk about it. Hey, if you’re lucky enough to have it, you might as well talk about it. Some people want lots of it, some adore it, some hoard it, but we all use it sometime.

Sometimes it’s clean, sometimes it’s dirty. I want to talk about when it’s dirty. So let’s get to it, let’s talk dirty. Dirty money, that is.

In the past few months new attention has been given to the way in which the products bought right here in the U.S. of A. are being made and by whom. More often than not, especially in the textiles and clothing industry, this attention has uncovered some unsettling facts.

A large portion of U.S. companies are hiring textile factories overseas to make their products and take advantage of lower labor costs. This increases their profit ratios. Now, there is nothing wrong with pursuing a profit in a capitalistic society. However, the true costs of this highly “fashionable” practice, goes beyond profits, it concerns people.

Agreements like “NAFTA” and the General Agreement on Trades and Tariffs make moving the garment industry overseas simple and cost-effective. These factories are being moved to places such as Mexico, El Salvador, Sri Lanka, Korea and Indonesia. So when good ol’ red blooded Americans stop making your clothes, good ol’ red blooded El Salvadorians are doing it instead. But these people, generally women, are working in conditions below health and safety standards, for up to 75 hours a week. The average age of the worker is around 17 and the average wage is less than eight dollars a day. Some companies do not offer an hourly wage; workers are paid per piece and often this is only pennies. In some factories, workers are even forced to take birth control to avoid losing valuable production time, which lessens profits.

For many of these workers, this is the only income that their family is receiving, and it is far below the cost of living. These women can barely buy enough food to feed their families, and have no way of affording the products they are making that grace the bottom of your hamper. Attempts to unionize or protest by these women are often met with solutions like mass firings or complete factory shut downs. For women who are completely dependent on this meager income, the benefits of keeping quiet and working far outweigh the benefits of voicing dissent.

If this seems like an atrocity or at least a sham, take a listen to the companies that participate in this practice. Bet you’re surprised. They include: Levi Strauss, Fruit of the Loom, Kellwood, Liz Claiborne, Russell Corporation, Disney, Winnie the Pooh, Matel, Lee and Wrangler jeans, Eddie Bauer, The Gap, American Eagle, JCPenney, Sears, Healthtex and Jansport. And the list is definitely even longer.

The question is, what can be done? Companies like The Limited have taken it upon themselves to ensure that working conditions for the people they employ are up to regulations and wages can accommodate the cost of living. Good for them. But most companies are turning the other cheek to these injustices, focusing only on profit margins instead of people, a difficult habit for them to break.

I suggest, then, hitting these businesses where it hurts: in the pocketbook. Check your labels. Try not to buy from companies that are placing their profits above the importance of their workers. Believe me, it’s not as easy as it sounds, but taking your business elsewhere really gets the message across. Weening corporate America from its precious profits for a while is the only way to communicate that unfair business practices will not be tolerated by the consumer.

According to Pink Floyd, money is a crime, but not if you’re giving it to those who use it effectively and with social conscious.

Bliss Newton is a junior in English lit and women’s studies from Ames.