June 2007
Newsletter #15
Contents:
1) Campaign News & San Francisco Action Alert
2) Sweatfree Consortium Update
3) One Last Request for Workers at Just Garments
4) New Resources
5) SweatFree Communities Opinion on the New Trade Deal
6) Many Thanks to Clean Clothes and Fair Food Conference Sponsors
Campaign News & San Francisco Action Alert
San Francisco: The San Francisco purchasing department is ready to award what would be the first contract covered by the sweatfree purchasing law enacted a year and a half ago. Because no bid is fully compliant, the department intends to grant a special waiver exempting the contractor from the requirements of the law. This blanket exemption would undermine the spirit and intent of the law by effectively gutting the sweatfree ordinance and setting a bad precedent for future contracts. Please call Mayor Gavin Newsom today at 415-554-6141 to urge San Francisco to not allow companies that profit from sweatshop labor to undermine the sweatfree law. Learn more. Take action online now.
Maine: In May, Maine became the first state in the nation to commit to funding its affiliation with the Sweatfree Consortium. The funding will come from a 1% vendor's fee on all contracts covered by the sweatfree purchasing policy. Even though vendors will pay a small fee for independent monitoring of their supplier factories, the State does not expect the cost of products to increase. Go here to read the bill.
Ottawa: On May 23rd, the City of Ottawa unanimously adopted a No Sweat purchasing policy. Ottawa joins Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto as Canada’s fourth major city to adopt a No Sweat purchasing policy.
Schenectady: Just last week, the city of Schenectady, New York, adopted a sweatfree procurement policy, thanks to the great advocacy work of the New York State Labor-Religion Coalition. The policy requires contractors and subcontractors to permit independent monitoring of supplier factories.
Sweatfree Consortium Update
The campaign for the State and Local Government Sweatfree Consortium is going strong. But now we need your help to get states, cities, counties, local government agencies, and school districts across the country to join the Consortium. Can you do two things right now to help the campaign?
1. Send a letter to your governor, mayor, and/or other appropriate public official asking them to join the Sweatfree Consortium. Here's a sample letter and a resolution to join the Consortium.
2. Endorse the campaign. Show that you support the campaign. And, if you are connected to any organization, business, union, or other group that can sign on, ask them to endorse as well!
Even better, join or launch a campaign in your community to make sure that your city and state join the Sweatfree Consortium. Contact us now to learn how to get started.
Interim Consortium Steering Committee Established: At the end of March we brought together government representatives from four states and two cities, activists, and experts for a meeting at the Capitol in Pennsylvania to develop plans for the State and Local Government Sweatfree Consortium. We agreed on the principles of the Consortium and established an interim Steering Committee with both public officials and activists to chart out steps toward founding the Consortium. You can read the report from the meeting and check out the presentations here.
One Last Request for Workers at Just Garments
The closing of Just Garments a few weeks ago marks a sad end to a valiant effort to establish a unionized maquila in El Salvador producing for the sweatfree market in the North. Despite Herculean efforts by the union and the plant administration that have come at great personal and professional cost, Just Garments was not able to overcome the opposition of local forces, the cut-throat nature of the apparel industry, the lack of development of the sweatfree market in the North, and its unique approach of essentially operating as a unionized cooperative.
Just Garments is committed to providing back pay and severance to its workers, but the company is completely broke. SweatFree Communities is working together with several other anti-sweatshop groups to promote one last fundraising drive for Just Garments workers so that Just Garments closes with dignity. Please consider making an online donation now. If sending a donation by check, make it out to US/LEAP send to US/LEAP, PO Box 268290, Chicago IL, 60626. Remember to write "for Just Garments workers" in the comment box or memo line.
Thanks to everyone who has already supported the workers and for considering one more donation.
New Resources
Check out our new organizing resources available online! Click the links below to download the documents in PDF format or go to our resources page for the full list of resources.
• Talking points in response to common questions about sweatfree campaigns. These detailed talking points are indispensable for activists in the midst of a campaign.
• Analysis and Action towards a Just Global Economy shares SweatFree Communities' thinking on the political-economic context in which we are taking action and the strategy for using sweatfree purchasing as one key part in the broader struggle for justice in the global economy.
• Resolutions to join the Sweatfree Consortium. Use these resolutions and the many other resources connected to this page to campaign for your state, county, city, or school district to join together with others in the Sweatfree Consortium.
SweatFree Communities Opinion on the New Trade Deal
SweatFree Communities believes that the new trade deal announced May 10 by House and Senate Democratic leaders and the Bush administration will continue to fail workers, communities, and the environment. We still need a new direction for trade agreements based on the principles of democracy, equity, and social justice. Read our statement on the new trade deal.
Many Thanks to Clean Clothes and Fair Food Conference Sponsors
Thank you so much to all the sponsors of the Clean Clothes and Fair Food Conference who together made the conference possible: Campaign for Labor Rights, Equal Exchange, Fair Workplace Council, Funding Exchange, Garment Industry Development Corporation, Global Exchange, Handcrafting Justice, International Labor Rights Forum, Jewish Labor Committee, Just Shirts, Justice Clothing, Kennebunk Peace Department, Lifewear, Maggie's Organics, National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 391 in Central Maine, National Economic and Social Rights Initiative, New England Joint Board UNITE HERE, North Country Fair Trade, New York State Labor Religion Coalition, NY State United Teachers, Organic Consumers Association, Oxfam America, Peace through Interamerican Community Action, People of Faith Network, Practice at New York University, Presbyterian Hunger Program (PCUSA), Rainstorm Consulting, Scotty's Fashions, Sweatshop Watch, Traditions Fair Trade, Unionwear.com, United Methodist Church - Women's Division, UNITE HERE, UNITE HERE Amalgamated Northeast Regional Joint Board, UNITE HERE Mid-Atlantic Regional Joint Board, UNITE HERE New York Metropolitan Area Joint Board, United University Professions, and Wainwright Bank.
Photos from the conference are available here. A report on the conference with notes from workshops is forthcoming.
