HesperianHesperian is excited to announce that our city government in Berkeley has signed the Sweatfree Procurement Ordinance. This requires that the companies the city contracts with to provide clothing and uniform items for Berkeley workers must treat their workers fairly. Several Hesperian staff have been active in this campaign. Read more about the campaign here.
The City of Berkeley Commission on Labor, The Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission, and Sweatfree Communities released this press release about the Ordinance:
Berkeley, California, June 24, 2009
The Berkeley City Council voted on the Sweatfree Procurement Ordinance on June 23.
After over three years of work, the Berkeley City Council passed a Sweatfree Purchasing Ordinance, becoming the 39th city in the United States to do so.
The City of Berkeley joined the national Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium in July 2007 and has been in the process of coming to agreement on the details of an ordinance.
Representatives from the Berkeley Commission on Labor, the Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission, and various organizations came together with Berkeley's City Staff to create the consensus document going before the Berkeley City Council tonight. The ordinance will affect garments purchased by the City of Berkeley at the $25,000 level or above, and includes a provision to lower that threshold and expand to incorporate other goods and services over time. The language requires that vendors disclose manufacturing locations of their suppliers and ensure that the workers who actually produce the goods enjoy freedom of association and a non-poverty wage.
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