SWEATFREE COMMUNITIES
Posted by Jim Hightower
If you wish there was something you could do about some of the worst abuses of corporate globalization, check out a fast-spreading grassroots movement called SweatFree Communities.
It's concept is simple: while one shopper can't make a dent in the ethics of global manufacturers, each of us can have an impact if we team up as citizens to harness the purchasing power of our city and county governments, getting them to reject products made with sweatshop labor. We often forget that the biggest consumer in most places is local government, which buys huge quantities of uniforms, computers, office furniture, and such from various corporations. We can say to these vendors: No public dollars for sweatshop goods.
In my town of Austin, the City Council recently voted unanimously to join about 170 other localities across the country in the SweatFree network. These cities, school districts, and other public entities have committed to buy only from contractors and subcontractors that do not engage in such sweatshop abuses as the use of child labor, poverty wages, toxic workplaces, etc.
To enforce the "no sweat" commitment, the consortium sends independent monitors directly to the factories for periodic, unannounced reviews of labor conditions. The shared cost is minimal – Austin's share, for example, is only about $17,000 a year. In turn, the assurance that the city's purchases reflect our people's sense of justice is priceless.
SweatFree Communities was founded in 2003 and is supported by a wide range of churches, student organizations, unions, advocacy groups, and community leaders. The notion is that there is power in numbers – with each new community that signs on, new strength is added to change industry practices... and end the shame of sweatshop labor.
To learn more, call 207-262-7277 or go to www.sweatfree.org.
" City Council considers anti-sweatshop rules," Austin Anerican Statesman, June 19, 2007
" Austin City Council Unaminously Approves Sweatfree Procurment Ordinance," www.sweatfree.org, June 21, 2007
"SweatFree Campain summary," www.texasfairtrade.org, June, 2007
" COA Ordinance Draft," City of Austin Law Department, June 2007
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From SweatFree Communities
Campaign Updates
Nov 12: San Francisco Board of Supervisors vote in favor of sweatfree amendments >>
Nov 12: New campaign starts up in Flagstaff, Arizona >>
Oct 26: San Francisco considers amendments to sweatfree ordinance >>
Oct 24: Milwaukee expands sweatfree ordinance to all products >>
Oct 22: A coalition of New York groups asks governor to join the Consortium and adopt strong anti-sweatshop legislation >>
Oct 22: A coalition of Maine groups asks governor to confirm commitment to Sweatfree Consortium and to lead national effort. >>
Nov 29: New Sweatfree Consortium White Paper released >>
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City & States WithAdopted Policies
To see which of the following policies require factory disclosure, go here.
Sweatfree procurement policies adopted in the United States as of March 2007:
States: 6
Cities: 38
Counties: 13 Dioceses: 4
School Districts: 118
Individual High Schools: 3
Total: 182
CALIFORNIA
State of California
City of Berkeley - Resolution to join Consortium
City of Los Angeles - Ordinance, Report, Contract with WRC
Los Angeles Unified School District - Report, Motion
Port of Los Angeles
City and County of San Francisco - Sweatfree Ordinance, Fair Trade, Organic
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District
COLORADO
Jefferson County Open School
ILLINOIS
State of Illinois
Oak Park and River Forest High School
MAINE
State of Maine 2001 law, 2006 law, 2007 law
City of Bangor
City of Biddeford
City of Orono
City of Scarborough
City of Portland Public Schools
City of Bangor Public Schools
MASSACHUSETTS
City of Boston
City of Fall River
MINNESOTA
City of Minneapolis
Minneapolis Public School District
Saint Paul Public School District
Stillwater Public School District
NEW JERSEY
State of New Jersey
Archdiocese of Newark
City of Camden
City of Clifton
City of Deptford
Township of East Brunswick
City of Neptune
City of Newark
City of Redbank
Bergen County
Cumberland County
Essex County
Gloucester County
Hudson County
Mercer County
Middlesex County
Passaic County
NEW MEXICO
City of Albuquerque
[See New York at the end]
NORTH CAROLINA
City of Durham
OHIO
City of Bedford Heights
City of Berea
City of Brookpark
City of Elyria
City of Fairview Park
City of Lakewood
City of North Olmstead
City of Parma
City of Toledo
Cuyahoga County
OREGON
City of Portland
PENNSYLVANIA
State of Pennsylvania
City of Pittsburgh Ordinance (Dec 2004), Proclamation (July 2006), Resolution (February 2007)
Allegheny County
Northampton County
RHODE ISLAND
City of Providence
TEXAS
City of Austin
VERMONT
Brattleboro Union High School
WASHINGTON
City of Olympia
WISCONSIN
City of Madison - Resolution, Report, Ordinance
City of Milwaukee - Ordinance, April 2003, Ordinance, Oct 2007
County of Milwaukee
Milwaukee Public School District
NEW YORK
State of New York - language renewed in 2006, Apparel, Sports Equipment
Albany Diocese
Buffalo Diocese
Rockville (Long Island) Diocese
City of Albany
Village of New Paltz
County of Albany
Suffolk County
Addison School District
Albany City School District
Alfred-Almond School District
Akron School District
Amherst School District
Andover School District
Averill Park Central School District
Belfast School District
Berne-Knox-Westerlo Central School District
Bethlehem School District
Blind Brook-Rye School District
Bradford School District
Brasher Falls School District
Brentwood School District
Brushton-Moira School District
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake School District
Camden School District
Carthage School District
Central Islip United Free School District
Churchville-Chili School District
Clarence School District
Colton-Pierrepoint School District
Cooperstown School District
Duanesburg School District
East Greenbush School District
East Islip School District
East Moriches School District
East Rochester School District
Edinburg Common School District
Eldred School District
Ellenville School District
Ellicottville School District
Elmira Heights School District
Fabius-Pompey School District
Fayetteville-Manlius School District
Fonda-Fultonville School District
Fort Plain School District
Frontier School District
Glens Falls Common School District
Gloversville School District
Gouverneur School District
Greater Amsterdam School District
Guilderland Central School District
Hammondsport School District
Harrisville School District
Herkimer School District
Heuvelton School District
Hoosick Falls School District
Jamesville-Dewitt School District
Jordan Elbridge Central School District
Lancaster School District
Lansingburgh Central School District
Lawrence School District
LeRoy School District
Livonia School District
Little Flower School District
Long Beach City School District
Longwood School District
Moravia School District
New Lebanon School District
New Paltz School District
Newburgh City School District
North Colonie Central School District
North Rose-Wolcott School District
Northport United Free School District
Northport-East School District
Norwich School District
Odessa-Montour School District
Oneonta City School District
Onondaga School District
Onteora School District
Patchogue-Medford United Free School District
Pembroke School District
Penn-Yan School District
Phelps-Clifton Springs School District
Pine Plains School District
Plattsburgh School District
Randolph School District
Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk School District
Red Creek School District
Riverhead School District
Rondout Valley Central School District
Rotterdam-Mohonasen School District
Roxbury School District
Scio School District
Sharon Springs School District
Sodus School District
South Colonie Central School District
South Glens Falls Central School District
Southern Cayuga School District
South Country School District
St. Johnsville Central School District
Taconic Hills School District
Three Villages Central School District
Troy City School District
Valley Stream 13 School District
Valley Stream 30 School District
Voorheesville Central School District
Walkill School District
Waterloo School District
Watervliet School District
Wayne School District
Weedsport School District
Wellsville School District
West Seneca School District
Wheatland-Chili School District
Wheelerville School District
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