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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: 202/219-7317 (ext.118)
U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich has issued a call
to the fashion industry to end sweatshops.
As part of Reich's multi-pronged strategy of labor law
enforcement, industry recognition and public education to eradicate sweatshops
in the American garment industry, the Labor Department will host a Fashion
Industry Forum on Tuesday, July 16. The purpose of the day-long event is for
representatives from all aspects of the industry to discuss strategies to
ensure that garments are made in conditions that are fair and in compliance
with labor laws.
The Fashion Industry Forum will be held on the campus of
Marymount University in Arlington, Va.
"It is up to all players in the fashion industry to take
affirmative steps to ensure the industry is free of sweatshops: from retailers,
buyers, designers, manufacturers, workers, models, subcontractors, editors and
consumers to the celebrity who lends his or her name to a garment line," Reich
wrote in the invitation letter. "Participants in the Fashion Industry Forum
will discuss key elements of industry monitoring; strategies for contractors,
manufacturers, retailers and other segments of the industry to increase
compliance; and other ways to ensure that all garment workers are afforded fair
and equitable treatment." The forum will feature three panel discussions, with
participants representing nearly every aspect of the garment industry. The
panels will provide industry leaders with information about practices that
eliminate sweatshop conditions in the apparel business and will provide a road
map for others in the industry to follow.
NOTE TO EDITORS AND REPORTERS: Credentials will be required
for media outlets attending and covering the Fashion Industry Forum. To request
credentials, please call the Labor Department's Office of Public Affairs at
202/219-7317 (ext. 109).
information in this news release will be made available to
sensory impaired individuals upon request. TDD Message Referral Phone:
1-800-326-2577, Voice phone: (202) 219-7316.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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