International Labor Rights Forum

Sweatfree Communities

English

DigitalCommons@ILR

Report Exposes Poor Working Conditions at 
Government Contractors; New York State to 
Rein in Sweatshop Suppliers 
For Immediate Release 
December 10, 2009, International Human Rights Day 
Contacts:  
Liana Foxvog, SweatFree Communities, 413-586-0974  
Eric Sharfstein, Workers United, 646-448-6408   
Northampton, Mass. - “Made in USA” requirements provide little insurance against poor 
working conditions and low wages, according to a new report by SweatFree Communities 
released today, International Human Rights Day. It contends that the federal government should 
do more to ensure that the apparel it buys is made by labor-rights-compliant contractors. 
Some states and cities have already taken action. Earlier today Governor David Paterson 
announced that New York is joining the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium, a new organization 
that assists members in ridding sweatshops from supply chains and providing incentive for 
ethical business practices. Initial members are Ashland, Ore., Austin, Tex., Maine, Milwaukee, 
Wisc., New York, Pennsylvania, Portland, Ore., and San Francisco, which together procure over 
$50 million in apparel and textiles annually.  
Governor Paterson said: “I believe that the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium will serve as a 
crucial tool in creating and maintaining standards of workplace fairness and safety in our global 
economy.”  
Bjorn Claeson, Executive Director of SweatFree Communities, said: “Labor rights violations are 
human rights violations. Today, International Human Rights Day, we call on all government 
agencies, including the federal government, to join with New York and the other pioneering 
members of the Consortium in ensuring labor rights for workers who manufacture goods 
purchased with our tax dollars.” 
The new report, Toxic Uniforms: Behind the ‘Made in USA’ Label, exposes poor working 
conditions at nine government contractor factories including poverty level wages, pressure on the 
job, poor benefits, health and safety problems, and discrimination. Nine of the factories are sole 
suppliers to Propper International and one (recently shuttered) was a sole supplier to Eagle 
Industries, held by parent company Alliant Techsystems (ATK). Propper International is the 
largest manufacturer of soldiers’ uniforms for the U.S. Army. Eagle has supplied the federal 
government and New York State. While outsourcing of jobs is prevalent in the cut-and-sew 
industry, as Department of Defense contractors, Eagle and Propper are required to produce in the 
U.S. or its territories under the Berry Amendment. However, as the new report shows, workers in 
Massachusetts and Puerto Rico, who manufacture goods purchased with our tax dollars, are far 
from immune from abusive working conditions. 
Elisa Rios, who worked at Eagle’s New Bedford, Mass., factory for two years said: “Harassment, 
fear, desperation, sadness, unhappiness, tears – this is what we experienced daily in the factory.”  
Maritza Vázquez, a sewing machine operator at Propper’s Lajas plant, said: “I understand that 
the type of labor we produce is very important because it’s a job done for the U.S. military. I 
think we need to be more appreciated, offered better pay and better benefits. Management should 
have more respect.” 
In Puerto Rico workers at each of Propper’s eight plants are organizing for union representation 
by the labor union Workers United. While ATK closed the New Bedford Eagle factory despite 
protests from the workers and politicians, a committee of sewing machine operators and their 
supporters persuaded a new government contractor, New Bedford Tactical Gear, to open in 
August. This week workers voted unanimously in support of the contract negotiated between 
New Bedford Tactical Gear and Workers United. The union contract provides for pay increases 
to $10.60 in three years, a pension, an affordable health insurance plan, and more.  The company 
currently employs fifteen former Eagle workers and is seeking additional government contracts 
in order to expand and hire more of the laid-off workforce.  
 
 
SweatFree Communities coordinates a national network of grassroots campaigns that promote 
humane working conditions in apparel and other labor-intensive global industries by working 
with both public and religious institutions to use institutional purchasing as a lever for worker 
justice. www.sweatfree.org 
The Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium assists member governments in meeting their goals for 
responsible sweatshop-free purchasing. It meets a critical need for information about supplier 
factories by providing expertise and pooling resources to monitor working conditions and 
enforce “sweatfree” procurement standards. www.buysweatfree.org 
Workers United, SEIU is a union of 150,000 workers in the US and Canada who work in the 
manufacturing, distribution, laundry, food service, hospitality, gaming, apparel and textile 
industries. www.workersunitedunion.org 
A copy of Toxic Uniforms: Behind the ‘Made in USA’ Label, is available at 
www.sweatfree.org/tu. 
 


Report exposes poor working conditions at government contractors; New York State to rein in sweatshop suppliers | SweatFree Communities

https://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2271&amp;context=globaldocs

Report exposes poor working conditions at government contractors; New York State to rein in sweatshop suppliers | SweatFree Communities

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