I just returned from a two-week vacation at a resort in Cancun where I was treated and indulged at a level well beyond what any human being deserves or is entitled to.
I had a blast, but the guilty white liberal in me couldn't help wonder about the working conditions. Dozens of workers spent their days cleaning the resort so not even a leaf lay astray on the pathways. Almost as soon as I emptied my plate at the buffet, it was taken away so I could return and get a new one. It was sizzling hot, but several waiters made constant rounds around the pool, fetching the guests drinks.
What I realized is that I had no way of knowing whether this amounted to plantation-like exploitation or whether these were good jobs with good wages. I asked several employees and they all said they were very happy, but then again if they didn't say that, they might have been at risk of getting fired.
But let's say I had chosen more modest accomodations--a small budget hotel, owned and operated by local Mexicans that promised a more authentic, eco-friendly vacation experience.
I also wouldn't be able to know if the labor was treated well there. Maybe working for a smaller company meant they were even more exploited. Maybe the boss never promoted workers. At least at the resort, all the managers were Mexican. It was possible to move up the corporate ladder.
It made me realize that as consumers we really have no way of making informed decisions about how we spend our dollars. I don't even think there's a consensus among experts on what exactly constitutes a socially responsible work environment--is that Starbucks employee with health benefits better off than the hourly worker at your locally-owned coffee shop? The latter probably doesn't get benefits.
There are two ways to go on this--
--An organization comparable to Equal Exchange for coffee that certifies businesses abide by fair labor practices. It would have to be independent of both business and unions.
--National and international laws that guarantee certain minimum labor standards and practices so that I would not face these kinds of choices in the first place. I would know fair labor practices were being followed because that's the law.
The second is more preferable, but we are not likely to get anything like it soon.
The danger is we come to see the individual decisions we make as consumers as truly well-informed and meaningful. Right now they aren't and they are no substitute for government action.
