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Office of Public Affairs

OPA Press Release: Secretary of Labor Unveils New No-Sweat Garment Initiative For Teens [10/16/1997]

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Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman today released results of the first-ever survey of New York City garment shops during a news conference with the Archbishop of Newark Theodore E. McCarrick, where the Archdiocese kicked off its education initiative designed to raise levels of awareness about garment sweatshops.

"The Department of Labor's survey revealed 63 percent of contractors investigated within New York City's five boroughs were in violation of labor laws, a clear indication of abuse of garment workers continues in this century," said Herman. "I applaud the leadership of Archbishop McCarrick who is bringing to the high school students of his Archdiocese a deep understanding of labor laws and the role young consumers can play in ending sweatshops in the modern era."

McCarrick introduced a two-pronged initiative within the Archdiocese designed to combat sweatshops by:

• ascertaining that the Archdiocese's manufacturers and vendors are in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, and
• beginning an education curriculum for grades 7-12 to inform students of the injustices of sweatshops and what they can do to avoid becoming a consumer of sweatshop goods.

"I'm pleased that such diverse agencies -- federal, state and union -- could join the Archdiocese in constructing an educational initiative that I hope will spread throughout educational systems across the United States," said McCarrick. "It is heartening to know that when we all work together to raise human dignity and educate for justice, good things can happen."

The Department of Labor, which has an extensive No-Sweat information homepage for consumers on the Internet (www.dol.gov/dol/esa), contributed teen-centered brochures for the Archdiocesan education initiative. Called "getta clue," they offer students shopping tips, information on the garment business and a poster on the "sweatshop cycle of blue jeans." For teachers, the department produced a simple resource guide.

Herman reaffirmed the Department of Labor's commitment to educating consumers about worker abuses in the garment industry. The department's teen-centered information will be piloted in Newark's Archdiocesan schools for possible wider distribution in 1998.

"Every worker is entitled to a fair wage, safe working conditions, and a sense of dignity and respect," said Herman. "And that is why sweatshops have no place on the American landscape. I hope this initiative and the leadership demonstrated by the Archdiocese of Newark will serve as a model for other communities and faith-based organizations to emulate and replicate."

Archived News Release--Caution: information may be out of date.