Sample Factory
List: Potential Designated Suppliers
September 28,
2005
The
following factories have been identified by the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC),
as candidates for becoming Designated Suppliers under the new policy. It is important to note that no factory
currently meets the new standards, in large part because the current dynamics
of the apparel industry do not allow for full respect for worker rights,
including the payment of a living wage.
The factories listed are, however, examples of factories that have the
potential to meet the standard. These
factories have reached or are in the process of reaching compliance with the
freedom of association standard -- meaning that workers are represented by, or
are in the process of gaining recognition for, a trade union or other
representative employee body -- and have in some cases made other significant
strides toward labor rights compliance.
With the exception of some factories in the
Tier 1: These factories have been assessed by the WRC and have, with the assistance of universities, made great strides towards code of conduct compliance, particularly in the area of freedom of association by recognizing a trade union or other employee body as workers’ representative. Given steady orders at appropriate prices, these factories are examples of facilities that could become Designated Suppliers.
Tier 2: The following are factories
where the WRC has not completed a formal assessment, but where the WRC has
knowledge that employees are represented by a trade union or other employee
body. These are examples of facilities
where, at a minimum, progress is being made towards compliance with the freedom
of association standard, and thus have potential to become Designated Suppliers.