The problem with sweatshops and unsafe workplaces is that the employees in question don't have the leverage to walk away from those jobs, since...they would jus

The problem with sweatshops and unsafe workplaces is that the employees in question don't have the leverage to walk away from those jobs, since...they would just starve and die. Again, this sounds like a welfare problem, because if we instead redistribute money to these folks (expand EITC and even remove the employment requirement), then they have the leverage necessary to negotiate better pay and better conditions. Such workers can walk away from unsafe working conditions without worrying about being able to feed themselves. Higher paid workers do this all the time, and this feeds into the market price for certain labor.