Austin looks to combat sweatshop labor

Proposed ordinance sets labor standards for companies bidding for city uniform contracts.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007 AMERICAN-STATESMAN
By Kate Alexander

Austin might soon join a growing national campaign to stop using public dollars to buy from companies that use sweatshop labor.

The Austin City Council will consider on Thursday an ordinance requiring companies that provide the city's uniforms to ensure safe and fair working conditions to employees.

The labor standards will be established within the next year by a budding consortium of states, including New York and Pennsylvania, and cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. More than 170 states, cities, school districts and other governments have adopted similar purchasing requirements, according to the anti-sweatshop coalition, SweatFree Communities, which is organizing the effort.

The city and state effort is modeled after a coalition of colleges and universities that has established a workers' rights code and monitoring system. If the ordinance is approved, Austin would contribute about $20,000 to the new consortium to create the standards and monitor compliance.

Austin, which has a yearly budget of more than $2 billion, spends less than $2 million a year on uniforms for police officers, firefighters, utility workers and others.

"I think the impact is much greater than Austin's little piece of the pie might actually be," Council Member Mike Martinez said.

Austin can take an early leadership role to build momentum on the national level, much as it has done on environmental issues such as climate protection, Martinez said.

"It's an action that we can take that speaks to the values of Austin," said Martinez, who is sponsoring the ordinance with Council Member Sheryl Cole.

Cole was out of town and not available for comment.

Liveable City board member Susan Moffat, who is part of a local coalition of community groups, religious leaders and labor organizations that has pushed this ordinance, said the effort aims to pool taxpayers' dollars to effect change.

"With each new community that signs off, you're building a critical mass," Moffat said. "At some point, that critical mass will be enough to change industry practices."

Kevin M. Burke, president and chief executive officer of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, said in an e-mailed response that the industry group "works to ensure that individuals employed in the sewn products industries are afforded safe and fair work environments around the world, and appreciates the city's support for socially responsible companies."

Byron Johnson, the city's purchasing director, said the standards would apply to future contracts and bidders will have to comply to be eligible to win city business.

Although the new requirements might reduce the number of companies that bid for the city's uniform contracts, Johnson did not expect the prices to change significantly because there is little price variation within the uniform market.

kalexander@statesman.com; 445-3618