Say "no" to sweat shops!

New Jersey sets sweeping "Buy American’ standards for state uniforms, apparel purchases

New Jersey Gov. James E. McGreevey signed a ground-breaking executive order last June. The directive controlling state purchases of uniforms and apparel is one of the most far-reaching in the nation, requiring state government officials to buy only U.S.-made clothing. The order also sets minimum standards and conditions for workers who produce uniforms and other apparel for the state.

The executive order includes linens, headwear, clothing and fabric products purchased or rented by the state, and covers the production process from cutting to manufacturing. It requires that vendors, contractors and subcontractors adopt "neutrality" in employee organizing campaigns and requires those employers to "voluntarily recognize" a union if a majority of workers sign authorization cards.

Producers of apparel for the state must also maintain healthy and safe working conditions, free of discrimination. Companies that have a pattern of violations of worker protection statutes or regulations, and those which do not pay a wage above the poverty level will be barred from bidding on state apparel contracts.

Vendors who violate the terms of the order can be barred from future contracts with the state. McGreevey said the conditions prescribed in the order "should be required by any decent civilization."

McGreevey has also issued an executive order embracing Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) for all state construction projects. PLAs establish minimum wages and working conditions in the construction industry so that construction contractors cannot outbid competitors by cutting wages or taking shortcuts on working conditions.

Ironically, governments in Canada have refused to even consider this kind of sensible economic program because they have claimed that ‘buy domestic’ policies violate the free trade deals we have signed with the United States. Since there have been no FTA or NAFTA challenges to the New Jersey legislation or other similar legislation in the U.S., it is clear that such economic policies are available to local, provincial and the federal governments in Canada.