The anti-sweatshop movement took two big steps within the past month, but it’s not quite clear which direction we are moving. First, the new Alta Gracia brand T-shirts and sweatshirts hit college bookstore shelves. Alta Gracia is a joint project of Knight’s Apparel and the Worker’s Rights Consortium (WRC), with backing from United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS). Second, Transfair USA, (name recently changed to Fair Trade USA), announced the launch of its fair trade certification pilot program. Included in the pilot is Hae Now, which has released a line of organic cotton apparel.
These projects are important milestones in the “race to the top” that we as anti-sweatshop and fair trade activists hope to see; a race in which companies compete to have the best labor conditions and environmentally-friendly products.
That said, some inside our movements feel that the Transfair (Fair Trade USA) pilot program hasn’t set the bar as high as it could or should have. Transfair (Fair Trade USA) was advised by several non-profits and NGOs to strengthen the criteria for certification, but the pilot was launched without incorporating this feedback. This has led to some concerns that large corporations- known for sweatshop abuses- could use the Fair Trade clothing program for “fair-washing”.
In contrast, the WRC/USAS Alta Gracia project has set the bar very high for the cut-and-sew link in the collegiate apparel supply chain. To reach this bar will undoubtedly require an immense effort. To bring these high standards to other pieces of the supply chain- like cotton growing and screen printing- is an even larger project. It’s not surprising some argue for a lower standard that is easier to certify.
Meanwhile, our friends and neighbors -- the union apparel manufacturers and embellishers -- are still desperately trying to hold onto their jobs through recessions, layoffs, and other kinds of ethical labels. They do not have marketing departments like Transfair (Fair Trade USA) or Knight’s Apparel to promote the union apparel label as the high ethical standard it is. But they do have dignity and good quality products- and customers like you and us! ...If only they had the demand volume necessary to expand their product offering to include organic, sweatshop-free cotton.
None of these fair trade T shirts and clothes are perfect, but as this plays out nationally, we plan to continue downloading all information we can on ethical apparel. We will continue providing union-made clothing as the highest ethical standard. And we hope to have the opportunity to also offer Alta Gracia T-shirts from the Dominican Republic for blank or custom use as well.
(*Update in 2011- we have started a blanks and custom printed program with Alta Gracia. Check out pricing details here!)
As always, any custom logo embellishment, (screen print or embroidery), will be done by a local union!
We believe we need to work together to promote- and improve- high ethical standards! What do you think about these certifications and projects? Leave any ideas you have in the comments!
