Lucas County mulls policy on sweatshop apparel

Commissioners support restrictions on clothing purchased for prisoners

June 2, 2008  Toledo Blade

By Gabe Nelson, Blade Staff Writer

Commissioner Ben Konop plans to introduce the policy.A policy forbidding Lucas County officials from purchasing products made in sweatshop conditions with taxpayer money is expected to get approval from the county commissioners tomorrow.
Tina Skeldon Wozniak, president of the commissioners, and Commissioner Pete Gerken said they support it.
"The bottom line for me is that our community here in Toledo is one that respects its workers," Ms. Wozniak said.
Under the proposed policy, the county would become the first member of a coalition called the State and Local Government Sweatfree Consortium.
The consortium aims to form a bloc of government purchasers with enough clout to impact the practices of companies making apparel, such as uniforms for prisoners.
Lucas County spent $40,000 on prisoner uniforms, socks, and slippers in the last five years, much of it bought from contractors suspected of using sweatshop labor, Mr. Konop said.
One company has been tied to a fire in a Bangladesh factory where about 300 workers died because the doors were illegally locked, he said.
Corrections Administrator Jim O'Neal said he hadn't heard any concerns about the labor practices of the jail's contractors until plans for Mr. Konop's policy were brought to his attention.
He said he's concerned about a possible increase in the cost of corrections system apparel.
"As long as we can find another supplier, and as long as [the commissioners] give us the funds to pay the extra cost, it will have no impact on us," Mr. O'Neal said.
"Ultimately, the effect will be on the county budget," he said. As a member of the consortium, the county eventually would have to pay 1 percent of its annual apparel budget to the coalition for its enforcement costs.
Although Mr. Konop said he didn't know exactly how much the county would need to spend in future years, he estimated that the enforcement payment wouldn't amount to more than a few hundred dollars a year.
Victoria Kaplan, the Midwest regional organizer for the coalition's parent organization, SweatFree Communities, said the coalition makes it easier for member communities to ensure that their apparel doesn't come from sweatshops.
"Lucas County on its own might not be able to send a monitor to inspect a factory that's producing uniforms in Bangladesh. But together with other cities and states, the Sweatfree Consortium will make it possible to get positive results," Ms. Kaplan said.
The plan could cost the county more money because the use of sweatshop labor cuts costs for contractors.
But Ms. Kaplan said it would cost "pennies more" to buy from contractors who don't use sweatshop labor.
"The cost to taxpayers is more if we support poverty here and around the world," Mr. Gerken said. "It's a smart investment."
A rally supporting the policy will be at 2 p.m. today in front of Government Center.
Mr. Konop and Ms. Kaplan are to speak, along with union leaders and ministers from local churches.
Contact Gabe Nelson at: gnelson[at]theblade[dot]com or 419-724-6076.