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SWEATSHOP FREE GOVERNMENTS

At least five local governments in New York have passed sweatfree purchasing policies. To learn more about the policies and their implementation, visit the links below.

° Suffolk County
° Albany County PDF
° City of Schenectady PDF
(and a sample resolution from the Schenectady Central Labor Council PDF in support fo the Sweatfree Purchasing Policy)
° City of New Paltz
° City of Albany PDF

What is New York state doing to end taxpayer support for sweatshops?

In 2002, the state legislature authorized sweatfree apparel purchasing by state agencies and authorities. (For text of the original law, click here PDF . It was renewed in 2006, text here PDF .)

As of September 1, 2008, however, New York state has no comprehensive sweatshop-free apparel purchasing law. The New York State Department of Labor issued a report on September 15 citing the need for better tools, such as the State and Local Government Sweatfree Consortium to ensure sweatshop-free apparel purchasing by state entities.

• "Report on the Impact of the September Eleventh Bidders Registry and the Apparel Workers Fair Labor Conditions and Procurement Act on State Procurement" from the New York State Department of Labor
• Letter from Commissioner Smith to Governor Paterson summarizing findings
• Labor-Religion news release about the report
• New York Daily News article about the report

Consortium a positive approach for enforcement

There’s great potential in using humane government procurement practices to build a system of fair trade and create positive alternatives to global sweatshops. A State & Local Government Sweatfree Consortium will pressure companies into making changes by demanding more transparency, pooling resources for factory monitoring and coordinating enforcement of sweatfree purchasing policies. Its cost is estimated at 1% of the state’s annual apparel budget.

“ New York can lead other states and cities on the path to sweatfree public purchasing—by enacting a Sweatfree Code of Conduct that enumerates worker rights principles for inclusion in state apparel contracts and by formally affiliating with the Consortium,” said Labor-Religion Director Brian O’Shaughnessy.

Subsidizing Sweatshops report

“NY buys ‘sweat’pants, group sez” and similar headlines followed the July 1, 2008 release of the Subsidizing Sweatshops report from SweatFree Communities. The report documents the pervasiveness of sweatshops in the apparel sector including abuses in factories producing for three vendors with NYS contracts. The report also documents horrendous work conditions in factories supplying Fechheimer Brothers, a company that contracts with the City of Schenectady for apparel for firefighters. In 2007 the Schenectady City Council passed a sweatshop-free purchasing policy for public employee uniforms.

"New York’s sweatshop-free purchasing laws have failed to achieve their intended effect—as evidenced by the report,” said Labor-Religion Sweatfree Coordinator, Jordan Wells. “A new approach is required.”

Before releasing the report, SweatFree Communities asked government purchasing officials to contact their vendors. The New York Office of General Services was among the entities to take immediate action. Also, in an August 2008 veto message for a flawed bill that would label articles of sweatfree apparel, Governor Paterson mentioned the need for “procurement policies, heightened enforcement and sanctions or cooperation with other states and localities… .” Clearly, government leaders share a vision of effective sweatshop-free government purchasing.

The full Subsidizing Sweatshops report (including case studies of 12 factories in nine countries) and a follow-up article, “Companies Respond and We Reply” are available at www.sweatfree.org.

Last Updated:09/22/2008
© Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State