Archive for August, 2006
Decent Working Conditions and Fair Competition Act
This bill was originally written by the National Labor Committee with the help of Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and the United Steelworkers of America. In the summer of 2006 the bill was introduced into the Senate by Senator Dorgan and into the House by Rep. Sherrod Brown of Ohio.
Click here to read the current (2007) legislation.
Senate Minority Leader Senator Harry Reid, Congressman Bernie Sanders, AFL-CIO and others Endorse Anti-sweatshop Bill
For the first time, anti-sweatshop legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Congress which will prohibit the import, export or sale of sweatshop goods in the U.S. Up to this point, it has been the companies that have demanded and won all sorts of enforceable laws--intellectual property and copyright laws backed up by sanctions--to defend their corporate trademarks, labels and products. Yet, the corporations have long said that extending similar laws to protect the human rights of the 16-year-old girl in Bangladesh who sews the garment would be "an impediment to free trade." Under this distorted sense of values, the label is protected, but not the human being, the worker who makes the product.
On Thursday, June 8, 2006, in what we believe will be looked back upon as a watershed moment Senator Byron Dorgan introduced Senate Bill 3485, "The Decent Working Conditions and Fair Competition Act" which will, for the first time hold corporations legally accountable to respect human and worker rights by prohibiting the import, sale, or export of sweatshop goods in the U.S. Products made under conditions which violate the core ILO labor rights standards (no child labor, no forced labor, freedom of association, right to organize and bargain collectively and to decent working conditions) will be banned.
On June 16, 2006, Representative Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio, introduced a similar bill (H.R. 5635) into the House of Representatives. It was co-sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Jones (D-OH), Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Rep. Michael Michaud (D-ME), Rep. Edward Pastor (D-AZ), Rep. Timothy Ryan (D-OH), Rep. Ted Strickland (D-OH).
Click here to read the results of a Harris Poll showing that the majority of Americans support legislation protecting the rights of workers in the global economy.
Click here to download a PDF version of Senate Bill 3485.
Click here to download a PDF version of House Bill 5635.
Click here to read Senator Dorgan's press release.
Listen to Representative Sherrod Brown discuss the legislation on "Maine Things Considered". Click here to listen to the podcast/mp3.
Click here to read the Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000
Click here to read about how the Bush Administration refuses to ban the import of goods made by slave labor.
Decent Working Conditions and Fair Competition Act
This bill was originally written by the National Labor Committee with the help of Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and the United Steelworkers of America. In the summer of 2006 the bill was introduced into the Senate by Senator Dorgan and into the House by Rep. Sherrod Brown of Ohio.
Click here to read the current (2007) legislation.
Senate Minority Leader Senator Harry Reid, Congressman Bernie Sanders, AFL-CIO and others Endorse Anti-sweatshop Bill
For the first time, anti-sweatshop legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Congress which will prohibit the import, export or sale of sweatshop goods in the U.S. Up to this point, it has been the companies that have demanded and won all sorts of enforceable laws--intellectual property and copyright laws backed up by sanctions--to defend their corporate trademarks, labels and products. Yet, the corporations have long said that extending similar laws to protect the human rights of the 16-year-old girl in Bangladesh who sews the garment would be "an impediment to free trade." Under this distorted sense of values, the label is protected, but not the human being, the worker who makes the product.
On Thursday, June 8, 2006, in what we believe will be looked back upon as a watershed moment Senator Byron Dorgan introduced Senate Bill 3485, "The Decent Working Conditions and Fair Competition Act" which will, for the first time hold corporations legally accountable to respect human and worker rights by prohibiting the import, sale, or export of sweatshop goods in the U.S. Products made under conditions which violate the core ILO labor rights standards (no child labor, no forced labor, freedom of association, right to organize and bargain collectively and to decent working conditions) will be banned.
On June 16, 2006, Representative Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio, introduced a similar bill (H.R. 5635) into the House of Representatives. It was co-sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Jones (D-OH), Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Rep. Michael Michaud (D-ME), Rep. Edward Pastor (D-AZ), Rep. Timothy Ryan (D-OH), Rep. Ted Strickland (D-OH).
Click here to read the results of a Harris Poll showing that the majority of Americans support legislation protecting the rights of workers in the global economy.
Click here to download a PDF version of Senate Bill 3485.
Click here to download a PDF version of House Bill 5635.
Click here to read Senator Dorgan's press release.
Listen to Representative Sherrod Brown discuss the legislation on "Maine Things Considered". Click here to listen to the podcast/mp3.
Click here to read the Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000
Click here to read about how the Bush Administration refuses to ban the import of goods made by slave labor.
[Jordan's Minister of Labor Basem] Salem Outlines Measures to Protect Workers’ Rights in QIZs
[Jordan's Minister of Labor Basem] Salem Outlines Measures to Protect Workers’ Rights in QIZs
Copy and paste the following into a Word document. To download the letter in a Word document, click here.
Return to the report or read an update.
Copy and paste the following into a Word document. To download this in a word document, click here.
To return to the report click here. To read an update click here.
Copy and paste the following into a Word document. To download the letter in a Word document, click here.
Return to the report or read an update.
Copy and paste the following into a Word document. To download this in a word document, click here.
To return to the report click here. To read an update click here.
Model Letter to KTS Textiles’ U.S. Buyers
Copy and paste this into an email or Word document. Click here to download the letter in a Word document. To see the list of buyers and their contact information click here.
Model Letter to KTS Textiles’ U.S. Buyers
Copy and paste this into an email or Word document. Click here to download the letter in a Word document. To see the list of buyers and their contact information click here.
