Boston College International and Comparative Law Review Volume 24 | Issue 2 Article 7 5-1-2001 Solving Worker Abuse Problems in the Northern Mariana Islands Karen M. Smith Follow this and additional works at: http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/iclr Part of the Labor and Employment Law Commons Recommended Citation Karen M. Smith, Solving Worker Abuse Problems in the Northern Mariana Islands, 24 B.C. Int'l & Comp. L. Rev. 381 (2001), http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/iclr/vol24/iss2/7 This Notes is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at Digital Commons @ Boston College Law School. It has been accepted for inclusion in Boston College International and Comparative Law Review by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ Boston College Law School. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. SOLVING WORKER ABUSE PROBLEMS IN THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISlANDS KAREN M. SMITH* 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. INTRODUCTION In recent years, interest in combating unfair labor practices has increased in the Vnited States" For example, in response to its obser vations of labor in the People's Republic of China, the Clinton Ad ministration authored a set of Model Business Principles for V.S.