(a) General Criteria. The following points shall be used by the City to qualify goods as not being produced under sweatshop conditions:
(1) Child labor. The factory does not employ anybody 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 anybody 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 the country in which the factory is located, 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 that is 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.
(b) Purchasing. Etc. The City is prohibited, to the extent possible, from purchasing, leasing, renting, or taking on consignment, goods, whether for use or for resale at City-owned enterprises, which were produced under sweatshop conditions. The City shall maintain a policy of evaluating suppliers' products in terms of the working conditions under which the products are manufactured.
(c) Notification. The City is directed to notify the City's suppliers of this policy in writing and to inquire about the working conditions under which 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.
(Res. 1997-56. Passed 9-17-97; Ord. 2008-51. Passed 5-21-08.)