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Governor Prohibits Contracts with Sweatshops
http://www.laborrights.org/print/12797[2/8/2012 10:56:58 AM]
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Home > Governor Prohibits Contracts with Sweatshops
Governor Prohibits Contracts with Sweatshops
Date of publication: October 16, 2008
For Immediate Release
October 16, 2008
Contact: Victoria Kaplan, 574-975-6207 or 310-531-3415
 
Groups Praise Move, Look Ahead to Policy Enforcement
Companies engaged in sweatshop violations may not do business with the State of Ohio, according to an
Executive Order signed today by Governor Ted Strickland. The signing comes after the SweatFree Ohio
Campaign, an alliance of 30 religious, labor, student, human rights and community groups around the
state, called on Governor Strickland to end tax dollar support for sweatshops by joining with other state
and local governments to enforce sweatshop-free procurement policies.
On July 1 the campaign released Subsidizing Sweatshops, a first-of-its-kind report that revealed severe
human rights violations in factories that produce uniforms and other apparel for U.S. state and local
governments. Ohio responded by contacting vendors named in the report, stating a commitment to
humane working conditions.
“This is a great initial step on the road to a more humane economy, especially important in today’s difficult
financial situation. We commend Governor Strickland, and we look forward to working with the Governor
and his administration to craft a strong, enforceable policy that will bring real results for workers in Ohio
and elsewhere,” said Victoria Kaplan, Midwest regional organizer for SweatFree Communities. “We have
learned through many years of experience that no state can successfully realize its commitment to end
public purchasing from sweatshops without a large-scale cooperative effort. We look forward to the State
of Ohio joining the Sweatfree Consortium to ensure that business practices and working conditions are in
fact improving.”
The Sweatfree Consortium is a collaborative effort of U.S. government entities committed to enforcing
sweatfree codes of conduct for government suppliers through independent factory monitoring, problem
remediation, and the development of an approved list of vendors and factories that maintain a commitment
to ethical business practices. Lucas County, Ohio, has already signed up to participate in the Sweatfree
Consortium.
“Fighting the proliferation of sweatshop conditions is a fundamental human rights issue,” Governor
Strickland said in a press statement released today by his office.  “And this is clearly an issue that affects
Ohio workers.  We need to make crystal clear that companies can’t simply ship jobs overseas so they can
cut corners on environmental and health safety standards.”
Executive Order 2008 – 21S states that “Production of Goods in Sweatshops Has Become an Increasingly
Governor Prohibits Contracts with Sweatshops
http://www.laborrights.org/print/12797[2/8/2012 10:56:58 AM]
Widespread Problem” and that violators of the order may be subject to contract termination. “When goods
are manufactured and supplied by companies that do not comply with laws regarding acceptable
employment conditions, the integrity of the competitive process is undermined and basic human rights to
which workers are entitled are eroded,” the Executive Order continues. With this Executive Order, Ohio
becomes the eighth state in the country to commit to ending purchasing from sweatshops.
The full text of Executive Order 2008 – 21S and an accompanying press release from the Governor’s office
are available at: http://www.governor.ohio.gov/News/PressReleases/2008/
October2008/News101608/tabid/871/Default.aspx [1]
Learn more about the SweatFree Ohio Campaign at:
http://www.sweatfree.org/ohio [2]
Source URL: http://www.laborrights.org/creating-a-sweatfree-world/responsible-govt-purchasing/news/news/governor-prohibits-
contracts-with-s
Links:
[1] http://www.governor.ohio.gov/News/PressReleases/2008/October2008/News101608/tabid/871/Default.aspx
[2] http://www.sweatfree.org/ohio


Governor prohibits contracts with sweatshops

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Governor prohibits contracts with sweatshops

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