Solving Worker Abuse Problems in the Northern Mariana Islands

Abstract

The garment industry has long been criticized for treating workers poorly. Despite the attention that this problem has received in recent years, abuse continues to occur, even in a territory of the United States (U.S.), the Northern Mariana Islands. This Note considers two legislative solutions that have been considered in the United States Congress, applying to the territory (1) U.S. minimum wages laws, and (2) U.S. immigration laws, and argues that better control over immigration to the Northern Marianas may reduce the problem significantly.