(a) The City is hereby prohibited, to the extent possible, from purchasing, leasing, renting or taking on consignment goods, for use or for resale at City-owned enterprises, which were produced under sweatshop conditions. The administration shall maintain a policy of evaluating suppliers' products concerning the working conditions under which such products are manufactured.
(b) The following points shall be used by the administration to qualify goods as not being produced under sweatshop conditions:
(1) Child labor. The factory does not employ any person younger than the legal age for children to work in the country in which the factory is located, and, regardless of the legal age, does not employ any person younger than fifteen years of age.
(2) Forced labor. The factory does not use forced labor of any kind, including prison labor, indentured labor or bonded labor.
(3) Wages and benefits. The factory pays a wage which enables its employees to meet their basic needs for food, shelter, clothing and medical care and to set aside money for future purchases. The factory also provides all benefits required by law in its country and compensates workers for overtime.
(4) Hours of work. Employees are not required to work more than forty-eight hours per week, or less if the law of the country in which the factory is located sets a shorter work week.
(5) Worker rights. The factory is a workplace free from physical, sexual or verbal harassment. Employees have the right to speak up about conditions in the factory without fear of retaliation and have the right to form unions of their own choosing without employer intimidation.
(6) Health and safety. The factory provides a safe and healthy working environment.
These standards must be communicated to every worker, supervisor and manager in the factory, orally and in writing, in the language understood by each person.
(c) The City administration is directed to notify the City's suppliers of this policy, in writing, and to inquire about the working conditions under which such suppliers' goods are produced. To the extent possible, goods from suppliers who will not state that their products are not made under sweatshop conditions will not be purchased by the City.
(Res. 12-1997. Passed 4-15-97.)