Date of publication: December 12, 2009
Source: The Gouverneur Times
Excerpt from article:
ALBANY, NY(readMedia) - Governor David A. Paterson today announced that the State of New York has joined the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium. The Consortium is a coalition of state and local governments that work together to create and enforce standards for bulk purchases. The members wish to stop buying from contractors that break labor laws by producing goods in sweatshops a movement known as "sweatfree" procurement.
The Consortium is seeking to create a structure for state and local governments to pool resources to investigate and monitor supplier factories to ensure compliance with workplace fairness and safety standards. Numerous local governments have joined the Consortium, as have the states of Maine and Pennsylvania. The Governor made the announcement on Human Rights Day, a day designated by the United Nations to promote universal dignity and justice for all the world's citizens.
As an initial step as a member of the Consortium, the Governor directed the commissioners of the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Office of General Services (OGS) to develop a set of guidelines for state agencies and public authorities to follow to ensure that the garments, uniforms, textiles, footwear and other apparel that they purchase from manufacturers or private contractors are not made in violation of labor standards...