From info at pcasc.net Wed Mar 8 12:37:45 2006 From: info at pcasc.net (Daniel Denvir) Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2006 12:37:45 -0800 Subject: [Sweat-Free-PDX] Fwd: CAFTA rules on govt procurement + sweatfree movement Message-ID: If we get it passed the city and we try for the state we could be setting ourselves up for a real fun conflict with CAFTA. This is really interesting.... Begin forwarded message: From: Liana Foxvog Date: March 1, 2006 8:48:57 AM PST To: Daniel Denvir Subject: CAFTA rules on govt procurement + sweatfree movement Hey Dan, None of the state sweatfree laws have encountered any trouble with CAFTA or any other trade-related government procurement agreements. CAFTA's rules that apply to state government procurement only apply to those states whose governors signed on to CAFTA's section on local government procurement. As you can see from here , Oregon is bound to CAFTA's government procurement rules despite the state's request to be withdrawn. (!) I don't know more of the details related specifically to Oregon, but Sara Johnson would know if you are interested and don't have the details already: (202) 546-4996 or sjohnson at citizen.org Here's our document relating questions about CAFTA to sweatfree organizing: http://www.sweatfree.org/CAFTA.shtml It should be useful to you in figuring out how to questions coming from the community, media, elected officials, etc about what CAFTA means for the sweatfree campaign. Here is the essence of our message (exerted from the document): If you do live in a state bound by CAFTA government purchasing rules it is important to remember that no trade agreement automatically invalidates a state or local law. A sub-national sweatfree procurement measure can only be overturned if it is successfully challenged as a ?non-tariff barrier to trade? in a WTO or regional trade tribunal. This is a long and complicated process and potentially costly ? in political terms ? for the challenging party. Imagine if a foreign country or corporation tried to tell your state that it would have to accept sweatshop products despite the democratically adopted sweatfree purchasing law. Can you hear the outcry of dismay from all corners of your community and from members of all political stripes concerned not just with human rights and worker abuse, but also with this threat to local sovereignty? Such a challenge could, ironically, galvanize a much stronger movement against unfair and undemocratic trade rules. Let me know if you have more specific questions about this. take care Liana -- Liana Foxvog, National Organizer SweatFree Communities - A Network for Local Action Against Sweatshops 140 Pine Street, Florence, MA 01062 office: 413-586-0974 fax: 413-584-8987 www.sweatfree.org -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 2881 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.enabled.com/pipermail/sweat-free-pdx/attachments/20060308/ef6a36b1/attachment.bin From info at pcasc.net Wed Mar 8 17:08:58 2006 From: info at pcasc.net (Daniel Denvir) Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2006 17:08:58 -0800 Subject: [Sweat-Free-PDX] Sweat Free: A New Beginning Message-ID: <4390297a6a6e58e36f94efca5c935151@pcasc.net> TEAM SWEAT FREE: So, below is a re-sent copy of an earlier email. Except that we will be meeting at the Friends Meeting House, not the PCASC office. Basically, we need to begin this coalition from scratch...not that we had gotten very far yet. I think that we wrongly assumed that every group behind the San Francisco coalition had representatives at the table the entire time...which was not the case. So, for the next meeting, I propose that those of us at the table, around 10-15 dedicated activists, get to work and then, later in the process, begin seeking endorsements from other organizations that may not be interested in participating in every meeting along the way. Homework: * Please read the San Francisco ordinance in its entirety. * Please read my update below. * Please look through the lists of apparel and general contractors. Does anyone have info on any of them? * What should our action plan be? Unfortunately, this last meeting turned out to be sort of an exercise in confusion. The meeting was cancelled and has been tentatively re-scheduled to Monday March 13, 6 PM at the Multnomah Friends Meeting House (4312 S.E. Stark Street). PLEASE BE ON TIME. Please email me if that doesn't work for you. Also, here are some updates. Below is a summary of the current city contracting situation that has been researched. In addition, a list of all apparel vendors and all vendors who have signed contracts with the city in the last 750 days is attached. Sweat Free PDX: What we know so far. ? The City has a fair wage policy as it pertains to formal service contracts entered into by the City of Portland for janitorial, security, and parking attendant services as outlined in City Code 3.99 http://www.portlandonline.com/auditor/?&c=ciegc. This does not explicitly address unionization. ? The City follows State requirements regarding prevailing wage rates in construction contracts over $50,000 - http://www.boli.state.or.us/BOLI/WHD/PWR/index.shtml.? ? The city also has some specific fair contracting initiatives focused on improving contracting parity with woman and minority-owned businesses, namely construction. These policies do not address collective bargaining, wage or working condition issues. http://www.portlandonline.com/omf/index.cfm?c=27355&. ? The city has specific policies around environmental sustainability and contracting. http://www.portlandonline.com/omf/index.cfm?c=37732 ? The City maintains a joint collective bargaining agreement with 8 local unions through the District Council of Trade Unions (DCTU) which, among many things, maintains those eight unions as the sole collective bargaining agents for a variety of job categories. http://www.afscmelocal189.com/dctucontract.html ? We have received a list of vendors on apparel contracts as well as a list of all vendors with city contracts made over the last 750 days. We have no idea what the labor practices of any of these contractors are. ? No city policies regulate procurement in terms of contractor and/or sub-contractor labor practices. ? Stacy Foreman of the City Purchasing office said that she was aware of people from Sweat Free Communities meeting with City Commissioners. She seemed very open to a Sweat Free ordinance. Portland Central America Solidarity Committee and Cross Border Labor Organizing Coalition 616 E. Burnside, Portland, Oregon 97214 Tel: 503-236-7916 E-mail: info at pcasc.net www.pcasc.net -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 4775 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.enabled.com/pipermail/sweat-free-pdx/attachments/20060308/02d1eb04/attachment.bin -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: city vendors.xls Type: application/octet-stream Size: 334848 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.enabled.com/pipermail/sweat-free-pdx/attachments/20060308/02d1eb04/attachment.obj -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: ApparelVendors.xls Type: application/octet-stream Size: 19456 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.enabled.com/pipermail/sweat-free-pdx/attachments/20060308/02d1eb04/attachment-0001.obj -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: SweatfreeOrdinance.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 883418 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.enabled.com/pipermail/sweat-free-pdx/attachments/20060308/02d1eb04/attachment.pdf From info at pcasc.net Thu Mar 9 12:29:25 2006 From: info at pcasc.net (Daniel Denvir) Date: Thu, 9 Mar 2006 12:29:25 -0800 Subject: [Sweat-Free-PDX] National Sweat Free Conference Message-ID: <00cd4e328673b64ae474d6ec9e392733@pcasc.net> PCASC has received grants to fund the travel of between one and two Portland anti-sweatshop activists to the SweatFree Communities International Conference, April 7-9, 2006, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. See http://www.sweatfree.org/index.shtml for more info. If you would like to be a (funded) Portland delegate to the conference, please email info at pcasc.net with a two paragraph essay explaining your involvement with the (nascent) Portland campaign and why you would like to go to the conference. Applications are due by March 14. In Solidarity, Dan Portland Central America Solidarity Committee and Cross Border Labor Organizing Coalition 616 E. Burnside, Portland, Oregon 97214 Tel: 503-236-7916 E-mail: info at pcasc.net www.pcasc.net -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 971 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.enabled.com/pipermail/sweat-free-pdx/attachments/20060309/d620056c/attachment.bin From info at pcasc.net Mon Mar 13 12:37:26 2006 From: info at pcasc.net (info at pcasc.net) Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2006 12:37:26 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Sweat-Free-PDX] MEETING TONIGHT Message-ID: <49184.71.34.105.66.1142282246.squirrel@mail.revoltltd.org> Sweat Free Meeting Tonight: Monday March 13, 6 PM at the Multnomah Friends Meeting House (4312 S.E. Stark Street). Be there! ---------------------------- Original Message ---------------------------- Subject: [Sweat-Free-PDX] Sweat Free: A New Beginning From: "Daniel Denvir" Date: Wed, March 8, 2006 5:08 pm To: sweat-free-pdx at enabled.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------- TEAM SWEAT FREE: So, below is a re-sent copy of an earlier email. Except that we will be meeting at the Friends Meeting House, not the PCASC office. Basically, we need to begin this coalition from scratch...not that we had gotten very far yet. I think that we wrongly assumed that every group behind the San Francisco coalition had representatives at the table the entire time...which was not the case. So, for the next meeting, I propose that those of us at the table, around 10-15 dedicated activists, get to work and then, later in the process, begin seeking endorsements from other organizations that may not be interested in participating in every meeting along the way. Homework: * Please read the San Francisco ordinance in its entirety. * Please read my update below. * Please look through the lists of apparel and general contractors. Does anyone have info on any of them? * What should our action plan be? Unfortunately, this last meeting turned out to be sort of an exercise in confusion. The meeting was cancelled and has been tentatively re-scheduled to Monday March 13, 6 PM at the Multnomah Friends Meeting House (4312 S.E. Stark Street). PLEASE BE ON TIME. Please email me if that doesn't work for you. Also, here are some updates. Below is a summary of the current city contracting situation that has been researched. In addition, a list of all apparel vendors and all vendors who have signed contracts with the city in the last 750 days is attached. Sweat Free PDX: What we know so far. ? The City has a fair wage policy as it pertains to formal service contracts entered into by the City of Portland for janitorial, security, and parking attendant services as outlined in City Code 3.99 http://www.portlandonline.com/auditor/?&c=ciegc. This does not explicitly address unionization. ? The City follows State requirements regarding prevailing wage rates in construction contracts over $50,000 - http://www.boli.state.or.us/BOLI/WHD/PWR/index.shtml.? ? The city also has some specific fair contracting initiatives focused on improving contracting parity with woman and minority-owned businesses, namely construction. These policies do not address collective bargaining, wage or working condition issues. http://www.portlandonline.com/omf/index.cfm?c=27355&. ? The city has specific policies around environmental sustainability and contracting. http://www.portlandonline.com/omf/index.cfm?c=37732 ? The City maintains a joint collective bargaining agreement with 8 local unions through the District Council of Trade Unions (DCTU) which, among many things, maintains those eight unions as the sole collective bargaining agents for a variety of job categories. http://www.afscmelocal189.com/dctucontract.html ? We have received a list of vendors on apparel contracts as well as a list of all vendors with city contracts made over the last 750 days. We have no idea what the labor practices of any of these contractors are. ? No city policies regulate procurement in terms of contractor and/or sub-contractor labor practices. ? Stacy Foreman of the City Purchasing office said that she was aware of people from Sweat Free Communities meeting with City Commissioners. She seemed very open to a Sweat Free ordinance. Portland Central America Solidarity Committee and Cross Border Labor Organizing Coalition 616 E. Burnside, Portland, Oregon 97214 Tel: 503-236-7916 E-mail: info at pcasc.net www.pcasc.net _______________________________________________ Sweat-free-pdx mailing list Sweat-free-pdx at enabled.com http://lists.enabled.com/mailman/listinfo/sweat-free-pdx -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: untitled-1.2 Type: text/enriched Size: 4775 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.enabled.com/pipermail/sweat-free-pdx/attachments/20060313/484371a6/attachment.bin -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: SweatfreeOrdinance.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 883418 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.enabled.com/pipermail/sweat-free-pdx/attachments/20060313/484371a6/attachment.pdf From info at pcasc.net Tue Mar 14 13:47:33 2006 From: info at pcasc.net (Daniel Denvir) Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2006 13:47:33 -0800 Subject: [Sweat-Free-PDX] Minutes: please read Message-ID: <6ea5d8155c61f143b036232a075b8809@pcasc.net> So, last night we made two plans of action: * Michael Geoghegan will set up a meeting with lawyers so that we can set up a draft ordinance. * Andreina will set up a meeting with the city purchasing office, which wants to work with us :) Also: We should contact city employees we know and ask them to look at their tags. does anyone know other county employees? Chris, could you contact Ed Hall and anyone else you know? In Solidarity, Dan Portland Central America Solidarity Committee (PCASC) and Cross Border Labor Organizing Coalition (CBLOC) 616 E. Burnside, Portland, Oregon 97214 Tel: 503-236-7916 E-mail: info at pcasc.net www.pcasc.net Begin forwarded message: From: Liana Foxvog Date: March 14, 2006 12:40:28 PM PST To: Daniel Denvir Subject: Re: connecting the dots - PDX purchasing office Just resent the notes to you. Update from those notes: I don't think there was much that happened before January. TJ from LC organized a couple of meetings and Lew was involved in those as well, but then TJ said she couldn't be the main person leading this. I know that TJ and others started brainstorming a list of potential coalition partners and may have started contacting folks. If you haven't been in touch with her recently, she might still be interested to be part of the campaign. Ryan Manion had also expressed strong interest when we met with her, but then she completely dropped out of the loop for several months due to busyness with a new job. The database isn't available yet. We are just starting to enter info and there are still problems with the technical design. Of course, if you know someone who would like to volunteer with us virtually to help with data entry, we could train them and give them access ... :-) If you want to check out Maine's disclosure info, it's on their website. This is some of the best disclosure info we have: http://www.maine.gov/purchases/reports/cocdata.htm You can argue that since we know that Maine is purchasing from all these sweatshops, Portland likely is as well, and Portland should adopt a policy requiring factory disclosure as the first step to finding out ... Another idea is to contact unions that represent city employees and ask them to check the tags on their uniforms. Of course it won't give you the factory info, but it'll give you the country of production. take care Liana Daniel Denvir wrote: > Hi Liana, > Sorry about the redundancies...we really weren't on board until > January and to be honest, I have a very weak grasp on anything that > happened before then. Could you resend those notes? > > Things do seem to be going really well here. We would love to get > access to this database. Basically, we need one good example of dirty > laundry, as it were. If we can say "this city uniform was made in > ____", that would be really useful. > > I'll let you know who are reps are by tomorrow. > > Best, > Dan > > > Portland Central America Solidarity Committee (PCASC) > and Cross Border Labor Organizing Coalition (CBLOC) > 616 E. Burnside, Portland, Oregon 97214 > Tel: 503-236-7916 E-mail: info at pcasc.net > www.pcasc.net > > On Mar 14, 2006, at 10:30 AM, Liana Foxvog wrote: > > Hey Dan, > > Stacey Foreman from the City of PDX purchasing dept called today and > told me that PCASC (you or someone else?) had called asking about > vendor contract info. I met with her when I was in PDX last Oct. In > case you didn't know, I mentioned this in the notes that I sent you > after my visit. Those notes also include my notes from meetings in > city councilor offices. (Let me know if I should resend them to you.) > > Stacey sent me vendor contract info in Dec. I know she just sent you > the same files. When I received them originally, there was a problem > with one of the files (this may be a mac to pc issue), so I have > attached the corrected version just in case you encountered that same > problem... > > We are in the midst of building an online database that will have > vendor contract info and factory disclosure info (where available) for > places that have adopted policies and places where there is a current > campaign. > > Stacey mentioned on the phone that she will preliminarily contact a > few vendors to ask for factory disclosure info. This is great news! > > Just sharing these thoughts I wanted to make sure we were connected on > this and had the same info. > > Liana > > PS. I'm hoping to here soon about who's coming to the conference from > Portland! > -- Liana Foxvog, National Organizer SweatFree Communities - A Network for Local Action Against Sweatshops 140 Pine Street, Florence, MA 01062 office: 413-586-0974 fax: 413-584-8987 www.sweatfree.org -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 5001 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.enabled.com/pipermail/sweat-free-pdx/attachments/20060314/64d527f6/attachment.bin From info at pcasc.net Mon Mar 27 13:01:51 2006 From: info at pcasc.net (Daniel Denvir) Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2006 13:01:51 -0800 Subject: [Sweat-Free-PDX] Meeting Postponed Message-ID: Hello everyone: We are going to wait until we have a permanent organizer funded (hopefully in the next few weeks) to get these meetings going again...Stay Tuned! Dan Portland Central America Solidarity Committee (PCASC) and Cross Border Labor Organizing Council (CBLOC) 616 E. Burnside, Portland, Oregon 97214 Tel: 503-236-7916 E-mail: info at pcasc.net www.pcasc.net -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 431 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.enabled.com/pipermail/sweat-free-pdx/attachments/20060327/368e23f6/attachment.bin