Date of publication: July 1, 2008
Source: Women's Wear Daily
Author: Liza Casabona
WASHINGTON — Government purchases from some factories manufacturing employee uniforms could inadvertently use tax dollars to support sweatshops, according to a report released today by SweatFree Communities, a network of U.S. antisweatshop campaigns affiliated with the union UNITE HERE.
The report charges that public entities have not taken enough responsibility for where they buy uniforms. It interviewed workers in nine countries employed by eight different companies. The report includes a list of alleged violations in factories, such as underage workers, illegally low wages, forced overtime, excessively long hours, forced pregnancy testing, limited freedom of speech and association and verbal, physical and sexual abuse...