Copyright 1996 The Journal of Commerce, Inc.
Labor Standards To Get Broad Input
November 5, 1996 WASHINGTON A group of U.S. shoe and garment manufacturers and the AFL-CIO will be allowed to jointly discuss the development of voluntary labor standards under an agreement approved by the antitrust division of the Justice Department.
Joining the Apparel Industry Partnership are Liz Claiborne Inc., L.L. Bean Inc., Nike Inc. and Reebok Inc. The group will be joined by the International Labor Rights Fund, the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility and other human rights organizations and unions.
The goal will be ''to provide reliable information to consumers as to whether the products they purchase are made under decent and humane working conditions,'' said A. Douglas Melamed, principal deputy assistant attorney general of the antitrust division.
The partnership will formulate labor rights standards to inform consumers that certain athletic shoes and garments were not produced under sweatshop conditions.
The 18 parties to the agreement will discuss how to develop the standards, possible auditing mechanisms and methods to inform consumers that products meet the standards.
The Justice Department said safeguards will be in place to prevent the exchange of competitively sensitive, proprietary information.
Other members of the partnership include Business for Social Responsibility; Karen Kane Inc.; Lawyers Committee for Human Rights; National Consumers League; Nicole Miller; Patagonia; Phillips-Van Heusen Corp.; Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union; Tweeds Inc.; Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees; and Warnaco Inc.
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