Indentured Servitude

Human-trafficking lawsuits against Iowa school expected to be tried in 2024
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Human-trafficking lawsuits against Iowa school expected to be tried in 2024

A pair of federal lawsuits alleging that Western Iowa Tech Community College engaged in human trafficking are continuing to work their way through the court system. One lawsuit was filed entirely on behalf of 14 students from Chile, and the other was filed on behalf of 11 other students who mostly originate from Brazil. The…

The story behind why Louisiana voted against a ban on slavery
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The story behind why Louisiana voted against a ban on slavery

Last week, Louisiana voters struck down an amendment to its constitution that would have prohibited slavery and involuntary servitude. The four other states where slavery was on the ballot – Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont – approved similar referenda. Louisiana was put in the national spotlight for rejecting the change. Trevor Noah did an entire…

Slavery rejected in some, not all, states where on ballot
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Slavery rejected in some, not all, states where on ballot

Voters in four states have approved ballot measures that will change their state constitutions to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for crime, while those in a fifth state rejected a flawed version on the question. The measures approved Tuesday could curtail the use of prison labor in Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont. In…

Abuses on US bases in Persian Gulf ensnare legions of migrant workers – Stars and Stripes
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Abuses on US bases in Persian Gulf ensnare legions of migrant workers – Stars and Stripes

Foreign workers (migrant workers) for defense contractors on at least four U.S. military bases in the Persian Gulf are trapped in their jobs by abusive employment practices that they say prevent them from returning home or even looking for better work in the region, more than 30 current and former workers said in interviews. Many…

Voters in five states have the chance to wipe slavery and indentured servitude off the books
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Voters in five states have the chance to wipe slavery and indentured servitude off the books

When slavery was outlawed in the U.S. in 1865, the 13th Amendment included one exception. “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction,” the amendment reads. The penalty has remained on…

Slavery is not gone. It's just moved out to sea – MSN
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Slavery is not gone. It's just moved out to sea – MSN

Rain or shine, shifts run eighteen to twenty hours. At night, the crew cast their nets when the small silver fish they target — mostly jack mackerel and herring — are more reflective and easier to spot in darker waters. During the day, when the sun is high, temperatures topped a hundred degrees Fahrenheit, but…

More US Employers Are Trapping Workers in a New Form of Indentured Servitude – Truthout
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More US Employers Are Trapping Workers in a New Form of Indentured Servitude – Truthout

  Bosses in industries such as retail, health care and logistics are reverting to an old tactic and trapping people in miserable jobs by threatening to saddle them with debt if they quit. Workers across the United States in fields ranging from nursing to trucking have been discouraged from leaving jobs they hate or can’t…

Debt slavery is modern-day slavery. – Haqiqi Azadi
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Debt slavery is modern-day slavery. – Haqiqi Azadi

Debt slavery is modern-day slavery. Debt slavery is debt servitude. Debt slavery means debt bondage. Debt turns debtors into indentured servitude. Debt limits the autonomy of the debtor. Debt keeps indebted countries from accumulating capital stock. Debt has a negative effect on economic growth. Debt affects macroeconomic performance. Debt reduces per capita income growth. Government…

International efforts to end human trafficking – Lewiston Sun Journal
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International efforts to end human trafficking – Lewiston Sun Journal

Human trafficking, also known as “trafficking in persons,” is not new. I’m particularly concerned about trafficked children. In early America, orphaned Irish children were bought to become workers on homesteads and in brothels and pubs. In the 1950s, Native American children in South Dakota were bought for ten dollars. Many were kidnapped, abused, and then…

The 5 states with ballot initiatives to abolish slavery in 2022
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The 5 states with ballot initiatives to abolish slavery in 2022

(Getty Images) Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio. It’s 2022, and five states have ballot initiatives to abolish slavery. Yes, you read that right. In the “land of the free,” the states of Alabama, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont have an opportunity to…