Fair labor activists appeal to state to join consortium

Thursday, April 16, 2009 Wisconsin Public Radio

By Madeline Nordholm

A fair labor group wants Governor Jim Doyle to help keep taxpayer dollars from buying goods made by so-called "sweatshops". Organizers with "SweatFree Communities" staged several events and rallies across the country yesterday, including some in Madison and Milwaukee.

The group says the state and federal governments are purchasing official service uniforms made in unfair labor conditions. Organizer Jonathan Rosenblum says if Doyle joins the Sweat-free Purchasing Consortium, it would support more humane conditions for workers, and help investigate abusive companies.

“The goal is simply to underline the consensus among people concerned about fair labor conditions,” he says. “That governments and our tax money should be going to achieve fair labor conditions and certainly not endorse the idea of sweatshop workers or sweatshop productions be in any part of the uniforms or the products that our city state or other governments are acquiring."

In an emailed statement, a Doyle spokeswoman says the Governor's Office is working with SweatFree and take "very seriously" their fight for human rights.