Blog

Report Exposes Poor Working Conditions at Government Contractors; New York State to Reign in Sweatshop Suppliers

December 10, 2009

Governor Paterson said: “I believe that the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium will serve as a crucial tool in creating and maintaining standards of workplace fairness and safety in our global economy.”

Bjorn Claeson, Executive Director of SweatFree Communities, said: “Labor rights violations are human rights violations. Today, International Human Rights Day, we call on all government agencies, including the federal government, to join with New York and the other pioneering members of the Consortium in ensuring labor rights for workers who manufacture goods purchased with our tax dollars.”

Norfolk, VA Fair Trade Festival Spreads Awareness about Sweatfree Campaigns

December 8, 2009

Besides heightening awareness about sweatshops and child labor in general, Trina and I were gaining supporters for the Norfolk sweatfree campaign. The Friday preceding the festival, December 4th, Trina and I met with the Sacred Heart Catholic Church globalization community, a local Norfolk region faith based group interested in learning more about the social justice issues that sweatshops raise and more importantly, what concrete actions they could take as individuals and a community to both raise awareness and effect change. We expected to be addressing a group that knew little about the global problems that lead to the use of Sweatshop labor but instead what we found was a well informed group of highly active ind

Organizations Question Nestlé’s Commitment to Fair Trade Cocoa

December 7, 2009

Nestlé SA announced today that it would begin to source Fair Trade Certified cocoa for its Kit Kat bars in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Since stories about the use of child, forced and trafficked labor and the widespread poverty among farmers in West Africa’s cocoa industry surfaced in 2001, organizations in the United States and around the world have been campaigning to convince major chocolate companies, especially Nestlé, to commit to sourcing Fair Trade Certified cocoa. A lawsuit filed in 2005 in US courts against Nestlé on behalf of Malian children who were trafficked to Cote d’Ivoire to harvest cocoa is still ongoing.

LL Bean Responds with Grace

November 25, 2009

Here is the company's public statement, issued today: "Since this issue was brought to our attention by the International Labor Rights Forum, we have begun contacting suppliers to convey to them that we do not intend to use Uzbekistan cotton. We have also agreed to join a coalition of organizations working with ILRF to develop next steps toward the elimination of Uzbekistan cotton in the supply chain. This is a complex issue that we believe is best addressed on a collaborative basis. We are pleased to work with ILRF, and others, to find solutions. "

Honduran Workers Win Major Victory with the help of Students and Activists like You!

November 20, 2009

This victory came after a long U.S. campaign, organized by United Students Against Sweatshops. Honduran union leaders and previous Jerzees de Honduras workers toured the U.S. all year, speaking up about Russell's anti-union tactics. 89 colleges and universities cut their apparel contracts with Russell out of protest. According to the New York Times, some of these contracts were worth over $1 million dollars in sales.

Colbert takes on child labor

November 19, 2009

Tim Newman, Campaigns Director, International Labor Rights Forum

ILRF announces Sweatshop Hall of Shame 2010

November 17, 2009

International Labor Rights Forum

At the Menderes Tekstil Factory in Denizili, Turkey, which produces bed linen for Walmart, Kohl’s, and Ikea, it was reported that workers associated with the union were illegally dismissed. In addition, unsafe working conditions led to the death of four workers.

Shop with a Conscience Consumer Guide Launched

November 17, 2009

While it can often be difficult to fully understand where a product we purchase comes from and all the steps that are involved in the supply chain, there is hope. This hope comes in the form of the 2010 Shop with a Conscience Consumer and Wholesale Guide release by the International Labor Rights Forum and SweatFree Communities today. The guide features apparel companies that are committed to workers rights by either sourcing or producing their products from factories where workers have independent unions or worker-owned cooperatives. The guide offers consumers an opportunity to purchase well-made and fashionable apparel along with the knowledge that their purcha

Pakistani Labor Leader Killed by Suicide Bomber

November 16, 2009

Along with his work in the PWF, Master Khudadad was well known for helping to establish the Bonded Labor Liberation Front (BLLF). In an article written by Farooq Tariq about Master Khudadad’s death, he said: “Master Khudadad's main contribution to the working-class movement in Pakistan has been his role in establishing Bonded Labor Liberation Front. He helped many to flee from the chains of slavery.”

Government Purchasing Policy Forum in Washington, DC

November 13, 2009

When workers rights are not respected and instead greater attention is given to the company that can provide the lowest bid, the use of taxpayer money can be used to help facilitate the race to bottom. While some restrictions do exist on where states can source from, these restrictions are often limited in scope. For example, there might be restrictions on sourcing from places that use child labor or indentured servitude, but no mention of other labor rights concerns such as the freedom of association or the amount of money workers are paid for their work.

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