SWEATFREE PORTLAND: OVERVIEW & LESSONS LEARNED Stacey Foreman, City of Portland, Oregon Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium Webinar, December 6, 2012

Background  August 2007 City Council Resolution to develop a Sweatshop Free Procurement Policy  Developed by a diverse committee with participation from local labor rights organizations  Incorporated lessons learned from other public agencies  October 2008 City adopts Sweatshop Free Procurement Policy  August 2009 – Administrative Rules finalized

Policy Overview  Policy applies to all apparel contracts or amendments valued at $150,000 or more  Policy is similar to the Consortium’s model policy  Documentation Requirements  Contractor signs affidavit stating policy compliance; affidavit includes statement on how compliance is monitored  Contractor and Brand Owner complete and sign factory location disclosure form for contract items

Policy Overview  Policy allows for waivers to policy compliance  Policy allows for delayed compliance  Documentation includes compliance plan & timeline  Policy requires website publication of compliance information (factory locations)  Policy incorporates a public compliant process  Policy/Rules define a remediation process for violations  Policy establishes community oversight committee

Policy Applications  Fire Fighter Uniforms  not-to-exceed (NTE) $575,000/yr  Police Uniforms  NTE $700,000/yr  Uniform Rental  NTE $200,000/yr – including laundry service  T-Shirts/Sweatshirts  NTE $250,000/yr

Challenges  City often does not contract directly with a brand owner  City alone has relatively little influence with brand owners  Applying policy to “catalog” type contracts – where end-users can choose from a variety of items  Time needed to collect factory location information  Have to rely on affidavits and complaints – no capacity to conduct audits or otherwise verify compliance

Lessons Learned  Try to ensure brand-owner is engaged at some point, even if not the prime contractor  Plan ahead: allow plenty of time in procurement process for vendor to return complete documentation  Allow for brand changes to facilitate compliance  Understand end-user requirements - do they really need a specific brand or cut/color?

Lessons Learned  Leave some flexibility for waivers or partial compliance  Understand limitations of small distributors; find compliance mechanisms that take them into account  Engage your community – an oversight committee can aid you in communicating with brand owners

Going Forward  City participation in Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium  Reduce time needed to receive compliance documentation  Assists with maintaining updated information  More agencies = more influence  Build capacity to verify compliance  May assist if complaints arise  Consistent messaging to brand owners  Reduce leg-work of small distributors

More Information  City of Portland, Oregon Sweatshop Free Procurement Policy and Documents   Or Contact: Stacey Foreman, Sustainable Procurement Coordinator City of Portland, Procurement Services Ph: