Campaign Pushes For Government Procurement to Be Sweatshop-Free
July 1, 2008 The Hannah Report (Ohio)
A few companies that make uniforms and are based in Ohio or do business with the state are accused of operating overseas factories with poor working conditions in a new report released Tuesday.
The SweatFree Ohio campaign, a coalition of political, labor, business, religious and human rights interests, launched Tuesday with the release of Subsidizing Sweatshops: How Our Tax Dollars Fund the Race to the Bottom, and What Cities and States Can Do.
"Decent, humane working conditions in the uniform industry are possible and achievable," the report states. "But it requires all of us – companies, governments, workers, taxpayers, community organizers, educators and everyone else – to do our part, working together to alter the current systems of production, sourcing and purchasing."
According to the report, Ohio companies such as Cintas and Fechheimer Brother Co., both based in Cincinnati, Lion Apparel, based in Dayton, and Rocky Brands Inc., based in Nelsonville, are among those that operate 12 factories in nine countries where the SweatFree campaign found labor and human rights violations. Also named is North Carolina-based Bob Barker Co., which the report says contracts with the state, as does Lion Apparel.
Ron Sylvester, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, which coordinates state contracting, confirmed the two companies have contracts with the state and said that DAS has sent letters to both companies.
The campaign is pushing the state, cities and other political subdivisions or government agencies not to buy from companies linked to sweatshop labor.
"When the state of Ohio does business, Ohioans need to be assured our policies set the standards in worker protections," Tim Burga, campaign member and chief of staff for the Ohio AFL-CIO, stated in a release. "No taxpayer dollars should go to companies that don't play by the rules."
The campaign praises sweatshop-free purchasing policies already in place, such as those in North Olmstead and Lucas County, and is also calling on Gov. Ted Strickland to take up their cause.
"The governor does not want the state doing business with companies linked to human rights violations," Strickland spokesman Keith Dailey said Tuesday. As such, the governor has directed DAS to review all current contracts and spell out the state's expectations to businesses alleged to have committed such violations, Dailey said.
The SweatFree report includes interviews with workers in some of the factories who detail health-and-safety violations, low wages, unpaid or forced overtime and intimidation by management. The report says a Lion Apparel factory in Honduras requires all women to take a yearly pregnancy test, and fires those who test positive.
"Many of these companies chose to employ subcontractors who do not pay as well and do not provide safe or healthy working conditions," the Rev. Mark W. Diemer, pastor of Grace of God Lutheran Church, stated in the campaign release.
"We have the moral obligation to insure sustainable development that does not exploit workers."
