Let’s take a moment to recognize and celebrate these campaigns and their victories in the following cities and states:
- Austin: the Sweatfree Austin Campaign, 23 coalition members strong;
- Madison and the State of Wisconsin: the Sweatfree Wisconsin Campaign, 15 coalition members strong;
- Milwaukee: the Milwaukee Clean Clothes Campaign, a sustained grassroots campaign that has also convinced the county and school district to “go clean”;
- Portland and Ashland, Oregon: Oregon Sweatfree Campaign, 45 coalition members strong
- San Francisco: the Bay Area Sweatfree Coalition, over 50 coalition members strong;
- Maine: the Maine Clean Clothes Alliance, a diverse coalition behind the first state in the nation to adopt a sweatfree policy;
- New York: New York State Labor-Religion Coalition, a network of 13 local coalitions across New York State;
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Sweatfree Campaign, 25 coalition members strong.
The founding states and cities have paid dues to the Consortium, and pledged to share supply chain information, pool resources for monitoring and inspection of factories, and coordinate enforcement of labor standards. They are committed to using their combined purchasing power to promote decent working conditions, level the playing field for high-road businesses, and improve the transparency and accountability of both government spending and the participating industries.
SweatFree Communities estimates combined U.S. government purchasing of apparel at more than $10 billion annually. You can carve out another chunk of this market for workplaces that respect the dignity and rights of workers by getting your local town, city, county, or state to join the Consortium. First step? Get in touch with SweatFree Communities organize [at] sweatfree.org or leave a comment below!
