Catherwood LibraryILR School

U.S. unions, human rights groups, student activists and religious leaders will meet today in Washington, D.C. to launch a new national campaign to put an end to sweatshops by restricting the import of sweatshop products into the U.S. While acknowledging that former strategies of shaming companies into adopting and adhering to voluntary codes of conduct have been effective in a few well publicized cases, the groups have pointed out that the codes of conduct are often more about public relations than about real change. In an attempt to create regulations with teeth, the campaign?s organizers plan to shift their focus from consumer pressure and public shame tactics, to a push for national laws aimed at preventing the import of sweat-tainted goods.