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The Maquila Solidarity Network has joined a multi-stakeholder coalition made up of apparel brands, financial institutions, faith-based investors, public pension funds, shareholder advocates, investor rating agencies, and labour and human rights NGOs who are campaigning to end the use of forced child labour to harvest cotton in Uzbekistan.
On June 28, 2009, the democratically-elected President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, was kidnapped, put on a plane, and exiled by the Honduran military. Governments around the world have condemned the coup. Businesses, unfortunately, have publicly supported the coup, lobbied against trade sanctions, or remained silent and carried on business as usual under the military-imposed regime. MSN is working with Honduran and international organizations to push for the restoration of democracy in Honduras.
Sportswear supplier Russell Athletic has reached a historic agreement with the union representing 1,200 unjustly laid off workers at its shut down Jerzees de Honduras (JDH) factory. Under the agreement the company will open a new facility in the Choloma area, re-hire and provide substantial compensation to the former JDH workers, and sign neutrality agreements to open the door for union organizing at all of Fruit of the Loom’s Honduran facilities (Russell Athletic is owned by Fruit of the Loom).
"Clearing the Hurdles: Steps to Improving Wages and Working Conditions in the Global Sportswear Industry" identifies four central hurdles that need to be overcome by the sportswear industry to make real progress on the litany of worker rights violations plaguing the industry.
The entire Olympic movement, including the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, must use its influence to ensure that workers in the sportswear industry are employed under fair, dignified and safe conditions. As the custodian of the Olympic logo in Canada, the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee can and must build into sportswear licenses and sponsorship contracts commitments to respect internationally recognized labour standards.
Across North America, campaigners have been persuading their universities, school boards, municipal and provincial/state governments to adopt "No Sweat" ethical apparel purchasing policies. "No Sweat" policies set minimum labour standards that companies have to meet before these major public institutions will buy their products.
MSN has taken part in numerous important campaigns over the years. Information and archives of some of our more prominent past campaigns are available here.
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