National Day of Conscience to End Sweatshops

The National Labor Committee along with the Feminist Majority Foundation, the People of Faith Network, the United Methodist Church Women's Division and UNITE, the Union of Needletrades, Industrial, and Texile Employees, held a Day of Conscience to end sweatshop abuses on Saturday, October 4, 1997.

The final report of President Clinton's Apparel Industry Task Force is scheduled to be released in early November, one month after the day of nationwide "mobilization and educational outreach" took place. Anti-Sweatshop organizers believe that the October 4 festivities influenced the debate and decision making of the Task Force and initiated a "Holiday Season of Conscience" where informed consumers will reward companies that have signed on to the Task Force's Accord to Address sweatshop abuses and punish companies that have not.

Most sweatshop workers are women and many are underpaid and work in unsafe conditions. Anti-sweatshop organizations are demanding a tougher resolution from the Presidential Task Force requiring:

that workers be paid a LIVING wage

that companies adopt real independent monitoring by local human rights organizations

that stricter limits be placed on companies' mandatory overtime policies

that overtime be paid at a higher rate than regular hours

that workers be allowed their freedom of association and freedom of speech

Contact Maggie Poe and the National Labor Committee at (212) 242-3002 to receive a campaign packet including a petition and ideas for action.

See these pages for more information on the Day of Conscience:

UNITE!

National Labor Committee

 

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Copyright 2001, The Feminist Majority Foundation