Tell Gray Davis That He Can STOP SWEATSHOPS!

It's urgent to write letters now to the California governor and ask him to sign landmark anti-sweatshop legislation!

This is critical: this bill would set a historic legal precedent that could change the way state governments across the country do business. Please take a minute and tell California Gov. Gray Davis to do the right thing. He needs to know where the public stands on this issue -- and right now, he's being forced to listen to voters more carefully than ever.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Help Stop Sweatshops and Support SB 578!

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I respectfully urge your strong support for historic legislation, SB 578, which would stop our taxpayer dollars from perpetuating illegal sweatshops and workers' impoverishment and misery.

This bill (co-authors Alarcon/Hancock)ensures that the State of California would stop subsidizing sweatshops with our taxpayer dollars and includes a "sweatfree" responsible Code of Conduct for state purchasing contracts. The State of California buys $7 billion of goods per year -- and has a fiscal and moral obligation to rectify injustice in its purchasing contracts.

As a voter in California -- the sweatshop labor capital of the United States -- I trust that you will support this critical legislation to protect abused workers and to clean up egregious conditions in exploitative manufacturing plants here and worldwide.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
September 10, 2003


Background Information

Under current procurement guidelines, the State of California buys garments and goods made by child labor and sweatshop labor. SB 578 (ALARCON) and AB 1557 (HANCOCK) would put an end to that. These bills, virtually identical in their current form, are expected to reach The Governor's desk any day now.

Particularly in California, a state now dubiously known as the sweatshop capital of the United States, the benefit of public procurement contracts should be awarded only to responsible and lawful companies that certify that their goods are manufactured and supplied under strict "sweatfree" guidelines.

Groups across California are urging Davis to sign into law these well-crafted bills. They not only ban the purchasing of goods from irresponsible, egregiously abusive state contractors and subcontractors but restore state government to its role as model employer, not sweatshop exploiter.