Catherwood LibraryILR School

The U.S. federal government spends more than $1.5 billion each year overseas on clothing, but doesn?t seem to be enforcing its ?zero tolerance? policy for suppliers who break local labor laws. Several specific instances have been brought to light since about 2010, yet it appears that the Fed?s orders for Marine Corps shirts, Smithsonian merchandise, and camouflage pants continue. The labor violations vary from padlocked fire exits and unsafe buildings to falsified wage records and repeated workplace injuries. Part of the challenge for federal agencies is in the monitoring of two, three, four, or more subcontracting links in each supply chain. Even so, it is estimated that it would cost the Department of Defense an additional $500,000 annually to purchase ethically-made clothing, but a measure requiring the agency to do so was shot down earlier this month by DoD officials.