The Fleet is in

It seems that the Times is in the business of exploiting labor.

In the advertisement, The Fleet Is In (November 5, 2009: C1), the New York Times store boasts that each of the hand made ship models featured takes more than 100 hours to craft.

The average price of these models is about $540 which means that if all the money went to the craftsmen, they would be making under $6.00 per hour. But, if, as I was once taught, "Materials is half your business," then they are receiving under $3.00 an hour and this still leaves nothing for shipping or profit.

The Times is always extolling fair trade; does it (or the New York Times Store) practice it?


Sent to the New York Times