1. Does it really make a difference if our school district passes a sweatfree policy?
Each school district that adopts a sweatfree policy is taking an important step towards the day when sweatshops are ended. Although the movement is young and the path towards eliminating sweatshops is neither easy nor immediate, every step counts. Apparel companies have shown they will change when enough consumers (both individual and institutional) let it be known they care about this issue. The goal is to create a demand for sweatshop-free goods and to support companies that are willing to operate with a conscience. Imagine the impact if each of New York's 720+ school districts were to stand up against child labor and sweatshop practices! By adopting a sweatfree policy, your school district will be doing what is right and adding to the cumulative force of anti-sweatshop initiatives across the country.

2. Why is this campaign focused on school districts?
School districts are the focus of this campaign because: 1) Every citizen in New York State lives in a school district and therefore can take action locally against the purchase of sweatshop-manufactured apparel; 2) Property owners pay school taxes to these districts, giving them a personal motivation to speak out against the irresponsible use of their money; 3) Almost all school board members are elected officials, making them much more accountable than a private company to what the voters want. As public institutions that use public funds to make purchases, school districts have special legal and ethical obligations to spend taxpayer dollars responsibly.

An equally important part of the campaign involves education and action by children within their own school district. Worldwide, an estimated 250 million children work, most in unhealthy conditions and for almost no pay. At least 130 million children work full-time and do not go to school. Clearly, schools have an important role to play in educating more fortunate children about the horrors of child labor and the importance of schooling for all children. By changing policies in their own school district--which should model responsible citizenship--children will be having a positive impact on the larger world.

3. Why is the campaign focused on apparel?
We know that schools make purchases other than apparel. It is certain that some of these goods and materials are made with child and sweatshop labor. These may include electronic equipment and even notebooks and pens. We decided to limit the scope of our campaign, however, to have a targeted impact on the apparel industry, which has a record of severe sweatshop abuses in this country and abroad. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the apparel industry is one of the most cost-competitive, low-paying and labor-intensive industries within manufacturing and "among the most dramatically affected by changing patterns of global sourcing and restructuring."

4. Aren't public school districts required by law to accept the lowest bid for school purchases?
No. Boards of education were required to accept the bid of the "lowest responsible bidder". As of Labor Day 2001, the word "responsible" has been legally expanded to include the labor conditions under which apparel is manufactured. The new law, written in part by the New York State Labor-Religion Coalition, states that "boards of education shall have the authority to determine that a bidder on a contract for the purchase of apparel is not a responsible bidder…based upon either or both of the following considerations: (a) the labor standards applicable to the manufacture of the apparel… or (b) the bidder's failure to provide information sufficient for boards of education to determine the labor standards applicable to the manufacture of apparel." This means that school boards can now make socially responsible decisions about purchases of apparel.

5. What are the criteria for a sweatfree company?
According to the 2001 changes in the General Municipal Law, a company is sweatfree if the employees who produce the clothing are fairly compensated, if the working conditions are safe and healthy, if the employees have the right to form unions, and if no child labor is used. Moreover, when a school district institutes its own purchasing policy it can add other stipulations to its policy. Some school districts have asked that the apparel vendors pay its workers a living wage rather than a minimum wage (which is usually a poverty wage). It is up to each school district to decide how many and which particular requirements it wishes to place on apparel suppliers.

6. What is a purchasing policy?
A purchasing policy is a written rule that a school district uses to govern its purchasing decisions. Such a policy includes terms and conditions (e.g. worker compensation, etc.) that a company must agree to in order to do business with the district. The New York State School Boards Association has drafted a sample policy, available on the Labor-Religion coalition website (www.labor-religion.org). Once a sweatfree policy is in place, the school district's business official or purchasing agent will implement it by including policy language in each proposal that goes out for bid.

7. Can a district or school (or school-related organization) require suppliers to certify that they are sweatfree without adopting a school board policy?
Yes, it now can. In some districts, superintendents have directed purchasing agents to add sweatfree language for vendors without the adoption of a new board policy. Some principals and small school-related organizations have simply asked suppliers to certify in writing that they are sweatfree.

8. If our school district passes a policy, can it realistically be implemented?
Yes. If your district decides that it does not want to support sweatshops with taxpayer dollars, the policy can be implemented. At this stage in the movement, a district's sweatfree policy demands only a certification (which means a signature) from all clothing vendors that their products are not made under sweatshop conditions. If a company is not willing to sign the district's purchasing policy, the district can lawfully reject that bidder. Right now, the company's certification is the only way that we can find out about that company's labor practices. When the policy is first passed, it may take the district a little extra time to find companies that are able to sign the policy. Most of the initial work necessary will be done by the school's business agent as part of the bid process. And after a few purchases, the district will sort out which companies are responsive, and the process will become easier. At each step of the process, the school district is playing its part to rid the industry of sweatshops.

9. Is there a list of companies that produce sweatfree apparel?
Yes, but it is so very short, it is hard to call it a list. Before any long list is a reality, businesses need to hear from school districts that they will only purchase sweatfree products. This campaign and others across the country are helping to generate a demand for sweatfree products. Within the past two years, for example, SweatX (see www.sweatx.net.) has been created to fill this sweatfree demand, as has No Sweat Apparel (see www.nosweatapparel.com). And a company near Buffalo is expanding production of sweatfree apparel to meet the demand created by our sweatfree campaign. Gradually, companies that openly adhere to responsible labor standards will be rewarded and grow.

10. Will a sweatfree policy mean that a district spends more on apparel purchases?
Not necessarily. Many businesses treat their workers very well and offer quality goods at competitive prices. Unfortunately, however, we do not yet have data comparing costs for districts that use sweatfree vendors and those that do not. We do know that labor costs are a small fraction of the retail price for a garment. The real difference between sweatfree garments and garments made in sweatshops seems to be found in higher profits for manufacturers.

11. Does the Coalition's Sweatfree Schools Campaign have anything to do with non-public schools?
Non- public schools also make purchasing decisions. Although they are not affected by the obligation to accept "the lowest responsible bidder", every school's decision to become sweatfree is an important contribution to the statewide effort to end child labor. Our campaign was inspired by the decision of the Newark, NJ Roman Catholic Diocese to become sweatfree. Each public and non-public school that requires disclosure of labor conditions in its purchasing contributes to the international effort to end sweatshops.

12. Can faith groups influence policy in public school districts?
Although public schools cannot endorse any particular religion, faith groups are a vital part of every community. Individuals from congregations have the same obligation as other citizens to make sure that their tax dollars are used ethically.

13. Is the Sweatfree Schools Campaign happening only in New York state?
No. While the Coalition's campaign is the only sustained anti-sweatshop effort involving public, K-12 educational institutions (as far as we know), its features have become part of the array of local actions promoted by organizations such as Co-Op America, the Maquila Solidarity Network and the Resource Center of the Americas. With its combination of local and statewide advocacy, its opportunities for coalition building among college-age and younger students, labor unions and faith communities, its link to the Coalition's international delegations and its educational components, the campaign is a model for the growing national anti-sweatshop movement.

14. Why should I give my time to something like this?
Few of us believe global trade has to be based on human suffering. Changing school purchasing will not end child labor, but this campaign makes a difference in our home communities. It is democracy in action. Our tax dollars should not support locking young women in factories for 15 hours a day for 7 days a week for starvation wages. Instead, we can speak up about this injustice. And we can make sure our schools echo this commitment.

15. How do I start?
As our Six Steps packet explains, the way to get started is to create a group and decide on a strategy that will be most effective in your setting. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, as Craig Keilburger, founder of Kids Can Free the Children often repeats.

" Sweatfree New York Schools" is a campaign of the New York State Labor-Religion Coalition, a human rights organization with a statewide office in the Capital District and eleven local affliiates. Contact us at 518/ 213-6000, ext 6294 or at info@labor-religion.org or visit our web site at www.labor-religion.org/sweatfreetop.htm