All Saints votes for sweatshop-free uniforms

BANGOR – Bangor’s All Saints Catholic School is the first Catholic school in Maine to pledge sweatshop-free purchasing of school uniforms and other school apparel. The school board and administration adopted the sweatshop-free purchasing policy urged by parents who did not want their children’s new school uniforms to be made in sweatshop conditions.

“The All Saints Catholic School Board and administration are pleased to support a policy promoting sweatshop-free school uniforms,” said school Principal Marcia Diamond. “It’s consistent with Catholic teaching and social justice issues with which the church is concerned.”

In a letter to parents about the new policy, the school explained that the garments may be “a bit more expensive than those produced by child labor in factories overseas, but the social justice issue is an important one on which to take a stand.”

Ed Rudnicki, parent of three children in the All Saints Catholic School and a former board member of Peace Through InterAmerican Community Action, or PICA, said, “Our family felt that this time of moving to uniforms for the school presented an opportunity to choose a uniform manufacturer which promotes fair working conditions and pay for workers. The vendor selection makes this decision one we can fully support.”

All Saints’ new school uniforms are made by Flynn and O’Hara, which contracts production to Alperin Inc., a unionized manufacturing plant in Old Forge, Pa. According to Alperin president, Jane Leslie Alperin, Catholic schools are a very significant market for the company.

“Alperin workers have competitive wages, health care coverage for themselves and their dependents, a pension and 401K plan, a prescription plan, disability insurance and life insurance. They work in an air-conditioned environment, and have ergonomic work stations,” she said.

Alperin has worked with the Bangor Clean Clothes Campaign for many years, disclosing detailed information about its working conditions to consumers at www.CleanClothesConnection.org.

“Alperin is an important positive alternative to school uniforms made in sweatshops,” said campaign coordinator Bjorn Claeson. “Because workers are represented by an independent and democratic union, workers have a say in workplace policies, and a way to safely address grievances. The union also can help us verify information about working conditions provided by the company.”

A program of PICA, the Bangor Clean Clothes Campaign is a community effort to increase consumer demand for clothes made in fair labor conditions. The campaign works with local governments, schools and private organizations to adopt sweatshop-free purchasing policies.