Sample letter to Governor Kulongoski

[your letter head]

Governor Ted Kulongoski
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, Oregon 97301-4047

Dear Governor Kulongoski,

We respectfully urge you to issue an Executive Order to ensure strong labor standards in state contracts.

The State of Oregon spends millions of dollars annually on procurement. Oregonians care about the conditions under which the products we buy are made. We can and should ensure good working conditions for those who produce goods for the State by passing a sweatshop-free purchasing policy.

We propose that a strong sweatfree policy should include, at minimum, the following elements:

• A sweatfree manufacturing code of conduct: All vendors, contractors, and subcontractors should be required to comply with the code of conduct, which should include respect for local laws and International Labor Organization standards; non-poverty wages, adjusted to labor markets; the right to freedom of assembly and collective bargaining; non-discrimination; a ban on child labor; and safe working conditions.
• Disclosure of factory locations and wages: To qualify for a bid, vendors should be required to disclose the locations of all supplier factories and the minimum hourly wages of workers producing goods to be sold to the State.
• Independent monitoring and investigation: Oregon should join other cities, states, and other public purchasers in pooling our resources to investigate labor violations, monitor factories, coordinate enforcement, and buy jointly from sweatfree factories.
• State-staffed community involvement: State staff should support a community advisory committee composed mostly of workers' rights advocates to ensure compliance with the sweatfree policy.

California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Vermont are among the more than one hundred eighty cities, states, counties, and school districts nationwide that have already adopted similar sweatfree policies.  We ask you to issue an Executive Order establishing a sweatfree purchasing policy and allocating one percent of the garments and textiles budget of the State of Oregon for an independent, nonprofit monitor to investigate alleged sweatshop violations and identify sweatshop-free suppliers.

It is time for Oregon to defend workers' rights by adopting a meaningful sweatfree policy. Oregon, a nationally recognized leader in sustainability, should clothe its employees in garments that support our state’s values.

Thank you for your efforts to end sweatshop labor conditions.

Sincerely,

[your name, organization, contact info]