The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“STOP SWEATSHOPS--NOW” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E47-E48 on Jan. 7, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
STOP SWEATSHOPS--NOW
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HON. WILLIAM (BILL) CLAY
of missouri
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, January 6, 1999
Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, today I am joining with 26 of my colleagues to introduce legislation to curb the re-emergence of sweatshops in the domestic garment industry. This legislation is identical to a bill I introduced in the last Congress, H.R. 23.
Sweatshops have returned to the apparel industry in the United States in numbers and forms reminiscent of the turn of the century. A decade and a half ago, the General Accounting Office (GAO) documented the re-
emergence of sweatshops. The GAO has identified sweatshop activity across the country, from California to New York and from Chicago to Texas and Florida. Despite significant and commendable enforcement efforts by the Department of Labor under the Clinton Administration, sweatshops continue to be a serious problem, particularly within the garment industry. Even my Republican colleagues on the Committee on Education and the Workforce, the Gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Goodling, and the Gentleman from Michigan, Mr. Hoekstra, have noted the re-emergence of sweatshops.
The re-emergence of sweatshops has impoverished workers and their families and has driven reputable contractors out of otherwise profitable businesses. It represents a problem that cannot and should not be tolerated.
The ``Stop Sweatshops Act'' establishes joint liability on the part of manufacturers in the garment industry who contract with sweatshop operators for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This legislation strengthens the ability of the Department of Labor to enforce the law and improves the ability of garment workers to obtain redress where violations occur. As importantly, by encouraging manufacturers in the garment industry to deal with reputable contractors, this legislation acts to balance market pressures that have encouraged the re-emergence of sweatshops.
One hundred of my colleagues joined me last Congress as cosponsors of this legislation. I urge those of my colleagues who have supported this legislation in the past to do so again. And, I urge those who have not previously cosponsored this legislation to do so now. We cannot continue to allow unscrupulous employers to drive responsible employers out of business. Nor should we continue to tolerate working conditions that undermine rather than promote the well being of workers. As we near the end of the 20th Century, we must eliminate this vestige of 19th Century exploitation.
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