City of Toronto passes anti-sweatshop purchasing policy

News Release
April 25, 2006

 

(TORONTO) Canada’s largest city voted to protect worker rights in the apparel industry when Toronto City Council passed a “No Sweatshops” apparel purchasing policy at its meeting today. The policy has been in development since 2002, when City Council – at the urging of then-Councilor David Miller – resolved to develop a purchasing policy requiring suppliers to meet minimum international labour standards when manufacturing city apparel.

The policy requires manufacturers of city apparel and their subcontractors to pay fair wages, respect freedom of association, women’s rights and worker health and safety, and forbids the use of child labour, forced labour, excessive hours of work, and discrimination. It also requires manufacturers to disclose where they produce city apparel so that any worker rights violations at those factories may be brought to the attention of the City.

“This is a victory for some of the most vulnerable workers worldwide,” said Kevin Thomas, of the Toronto-based Maquila Solidarity Network, who worked to promote the policy. “Some apparel manufacturers achieve low prices by exploiting workers, paying poverty wages, and undercutting minimum international standards. With this policy, Toronto has set a bar below which bidders for city contracts cannot go. We hope Toronto’s example will be followed by other cities and provinces.”

Toronto buys almost $4 million in apparel annually for police, firefighter and TTC uniforms, amongst other things.

Approximately 60 cities in the United States have developed “no sweat” standards to protect worker rights in the apparel industry. Toronto is the second – and largest – city in Canada to adopt a “no sweatshops” purchasing policy. Vancouver passed a similar policy last year. Ottawa and Calgary are also considering similar moves.

Both the University of Toronto and the Toronto Catholic District School Board have approved similar policies for their apparel.

The push for a no-sweatshop apparel purchasing policy received endorsement from the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, the Canadian Council for Reform Judaism, the United Church of Canada (Toronto Conference), the Toronto and York Region Labour Council, the Toronto Police Association, the International Association of Firefighters, CUPE Local 79, the Amalgamated Transit Union Canadian Council, Oxfam, Toronto apparel businesses, and many others.

For more information please contact:

Kevin Thomas, Maquila Solidarity Network,
Tel: 416-533-1329
www.maquilasolidarity.org

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