wfn.org | NGOs part of apparel industry pact

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS 97" by SUSAN PEEK on April 15, 1997 at 14:24
Eastern, about DAILY NEWS RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (25
notes).

Note 22 by UMNS on April 17, 1997 at 15:54 Eastern (3688 characters).

Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
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CONTACT:  Joretta Purdue                           210(10-71B){22}
          Washington, D.C.  (202) 546-8722          April 17, 1997

Two United Methodists help shape
industry agreement aimed at sweatshops

     WASHINGTON (UMNS) -- When President Clinton announced April
14 the creation of an "Apparel Industry Partnership" geared at
ending sweatshops, he had with him two United Methodists who were
part of the task force that created the agreement.
     They were the Rev. David Schilling, director of global
corporate accountability programs for the Interfaith Center on
Corporate Responsibility, and the Rev. Pharis Harvey, executive
director of the International Labor Rights Fund.
     Harvey hailed the partnership as "a breakthrough agreement."
     The nine companies that are partners include Nike, Reebock,
Liz Claiborne, L.L. Bean, Phillips-Van Huesen, Karen King, Nicole
Miller, Patagonia and Tweeds. Kathie Lee Gifford joined on behalf
of her clothing label.
     "It has established for the first time a commitment by a
significant number of industry leaders in the garment and footwear
industry -- a commitment to a reasonably good code of conduct
[that is] better than the codes of any of the companies," he said.
     The partnership also includes a commitment to internal and
external monitoring of their operations and their contractors and
subsidiaries' operations, he added.
     Working for eight months, representatives of nine apparel
companies and several consumer and labor groups had fashioned the
workplace code of conduct and principles for monitoring with the
Department of Labor staff providing technical assistance.
     "It was very labor intensive," Harvey said of the process.
There were meetings and submeetings almost every week and
sometimes three or four a week, he added.
     The code of conduct prohibits the use of forced labor, child
labor, harassment or abuse, and discrimination. It limits the
hours of work that can be required to a work week of not more than
60 hours, including up to 12 hours of overtime, and promises one
day off each week.
     Partners in the agreement also commit to giving the workers a
safe and healthy environment and freedom to bargain collectively.
     Schilling said, "Our agreement is an important first step in
overcoming the marginal survival wages and dehumanizing working
conditions of modern-day sweatshops in the United States and
around the world."
     Inclusion of a country's minimum wage as a floor for wages
was a comprise with the industry representatives, he said. Critics
of the agreement say some minimum wage laws do not provide a
liveable wage and were sometimes set low to attract the large
companies.
     The group has promised the president that within six months
they will organize an association that will establish procedures
for additional companies to have their compliance certified, for
companies that violate the code of conduct to be de-certified, and
for implementing the monitoring principles.
     The association also will design a means of informing the
consumer about the companies' compliance.
     Both men agreed that the importance of using local non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) for the external monitoring is a
must.
     "Local NGOs know local conditions, have the trust of works
and give added credibility to verify compliance with the code
because of their independence from company control," Schilling
said.
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