Title
Resolution Directing the City Administrator to Appoint a Sweatfree Procurement Advisory Group to Evaluate the City's Apparel Vendors and their Global Supply Chains for Compliance with Acceptable Labor Standards
Memorandum
This memorandum and resolution seek support for the City Administrator to appoint a Sweatfree Procurement Advisory Group to evaluate the City's apparel vendors and their commodity suppliers with regard to compliance with acceptable labor standards.
Body
Whereas, Several City departments procure an array of apparel, such as uniforms, protective gear, and other specialized work garments, through various means including contracts for purchase by the City, distribution agreements for purchase by individual employees on an as-needed basis, and public distribution of apparel with the City's logo on the City's website;
Whereas, Global supply chains typically include factories that are commonly referred to as "sweatshops," which violate domestic standards on wages, hours, workplace safety, and health, as well as international standards on freedom of association and prohibition of forced labor, child labor, and discrimination with respect to employment;
Whereas, The City enforces its labor laws and supports businesses that provide decent, safe and humane working conditions;
Whereas, The City wishes to preserve the integrity of its procurement process for apparel by evaluating its contractors' capacity to deliver apparel and distribution services fairly. Such an evaluation includes review of their capacity to ensure compliance with domestic labor laws in the country of production and international standards of decent work as specified in ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work;
Whereas, The City needs a comprehensive review of its apparel providers to determine whether they, or their commodity suppliers, engage in sweatshop practices based on available information; and
Whereas, the City requires an analysis of the...
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