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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: 202/219-8211
More than three dozen national and local religious leaders joined Labor
Secretary Robert B. Reich's "No Sweat" initiative today and laid the groundwork
for a strong effort to take the anti-sweatshop message to congregations across
the country.
"While the Department of Labor is the enforcer of our nation's labor
laws, these religious leaders--and their congregations--are the reinforcers,"
Reich said when announcing the religious community's support for the
initiative.
"Our message is this: Sweatshops are wrong--wrong not only for our
country's economic future, but wrong simply because the exploitation of working
people is antithetical to America's values--our family values, our community
values and our moral and religious values," Reich said.
The religious organizations have committed to carrying the
anti-sweatshop message directly to their congregations by encouraging local
religious leaders to speak out from the pulpit, mobilize communities and youth
groups, and to contact their local retailers regarding the sweatshop issue.
"The religious leaders joining us in this effort have pledged to do
everything possible to remind Americans that this is a moral issue--and that
Americans have a moral responsibility to do everything they can to ensure that
workers are treated fairly and with dignity," Reich said. He was joined by
Reverend Pharis Harvey of the International Labor Rights Fund, Rabbi David
Saperstein of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Reverend Archie
LeMone of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Ari Hoffnung of Hillel
and Sister Eymard Gallagher of Marymount University.
In addition, Reich announced that the second annual Labor Department
"Trendsetter" list--a directory of companies that take additional steps to
ensure their goods are not made under sweatshop conditions--will be released on
November 27.
National and local religious organizations and individuals
participating include: Alliance of Baptists, American Jewish Congress, Bread
for the World, B'nai B'rith, Church Women United, Church of the Brethren,
Church of the Reformation, Friends Committee, General Conference of Seventh Day
Adventists, Hillel, Institute for Missions in the U.S.A., Interfaith Center on
Corporate Responsibility, United Methodist Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America, Jewish Labor Committee, Luther Place Memorial Church, Marymount
University, Monsignor George Higgins, National Council of Jewish Women,
National Association of Evangelicals, NETWORK, Presbyterian Church (USA),
Progressive National Baptist Convention, Religious Action Center of Reform
Judaism, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Temple Shalom of Succasunna, New
Jersey, The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, United Synagogue of
Conservative Judaism, The Episcopal Church, Unitarian Universalist Association,
United Methodist Church/ General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist
Church/Interfaith Conciliation Center, United States Catholic Conference and
the United Church of Christ
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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