SweatFree Ohio

Campaign Goal Take Action Endorsers Media Resources Contact

News Alert! On October 16, 2008, Governor Strickland signed an Executive Order prohibiting state contracts with sweatshops. Read our news release, and the beginnings of Ohio's new sweatfree policy. Now its time for the State to join the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium to ensure an effective sweatfree policy.

County Commissioner Ben Konop greets supporters of Lucas County's Sweatfree Procurement Policy, adopted July 3, 2008.

Campaign Goal

If Ohio is like other states, most of the apparel, textiles, and other products that it buys with tax payer dollars are made in sweatshops.

But that can change. A growing national movement is organizing for "sweatfree" purchasing to build market demand for sweatshop-free products and political momentum for a just global economy. You can see the growing list of Ohio organizations and businesses that have endorsed SweatFree Ohio below.

Help us make Ohio sweatfree! Through our collective effort, our state can ensure living wages and decent working conditions for those producing goods for us. This will also help level the playing field for U.S.workers who have been impacted by the global race to the bottom. It's time we stop tax dollar support for sweatshops.

Endorse the campaign now!

Ohio has a unique place in the history of the U.S. anti- sweatshop movement. In 1997, North Olmstead, Ohio became the first sweatfree city in the nation, starting a national movement that now includes 188 public entities. Nine cities and two counties in Ohio have adopted sweatfree purchasing policies, and in June 2008 Lucas County became the first county in the nation--and the first government in Ohio--to commit to joining the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium.

Take Action

Ask Governor Strickland to follow through with his commitment to join the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium.

1. Use this form or send a letter or fax to:

Governor Ted Strickland
Riffe Center,30th Floor
77 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43215-6108

2. Your action is most effective if you follow up with a phone call to the Governor's office: (614) 466-3555
3. Send us a note to let us know that you took action.
4. Spread the word! Ask your friends to take action!
5. Endorse the campaign.

Endorsers

SweatFree Ohiocampaign endorsers (as of June 2010):

Annunciation Church
Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good – Ohio
Church in Society, NE Ohio Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church
Church of the Resurrection: Social Justice Commission
Cleveland Diocesan Council on Global Solidarity
Cleveland Jobs with Justice
Columbus Jobs with Justice
Congregation of St. Joseph
Council Fellows, Columbus Council on World Affairs
Crawford/Richland CLC, Ohio
First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus Social Justice Committee
InterReligious Task Force on Central America
John Carroll University Campus Ministry
John Carroll University JUSTICE- Jesuit University Students Together in Concerned Empowerment
Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry, Cleveland
Matheny 2008
MIGUATE
North Shore AFL-CIO
Northeast Ohio American Friends Service Committee
Ohio AFL-CIO
Ohio Conference on Fair Trade
Ohio State Council, UNITE HERE
Peace with Justice Project, United Methodist Church
ProgressOhio
Simply Living
Sisters of Mercy, Regional Community of Cincinnati
Sisters of Notre Dame
St. Louis Church: Solidarity Committee
St. Therese Parish, Garfield Heights
Toledo Area Jobs with Justice
Tri County Labor Council, Akron
United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries
United Steelworkers Local 2737
We Believe Ohio
West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church - Social Action Committee