Fair Labor Association

Sustainability is often defined using the “Three E's:” environmentally sound, economically viable, and socially equitable. However, “socially equitable” is typically the least-developed piece of the equation, particularly in terms of food. The conventional food system does not ensure fair prices to farmers or fair wages and working conditions for farmworkers. Several international labels, such as TransFair USA and FLO International, exist to ensure social justice for agricultural producers and workers. The creation of these labels parallels the anti-sweatshop movement in many ways, with many of the same goals, benefits, and criticisms.

In the 1990s, labor and human rights activists launched organized campaigns to expose the growing problem of worldwide labor injustices in the apparel industry, which led to a demand for international fair labor standards. The Fair Labor Association (FLA) is a nonprofit organization formed in 1999 to develop and monitor a voluntary labor code of conduct that addresses sweatshop labor, child labor, and other international labor issues in the apparel and footwear industry. The FLA's standards, monitoring practices, and governance have stirred a great deal of controversy and criticism, and the FLA is one of several prominent organizations involved in an ongoing debate over international labor standards and monitoring.

The FLA developed out of the Apparel Industry Partnership (AIP), a task force that was convened by the Clinton administration in 1996 in reaction to growing public outrage about sweatshop labor and the lack of international labor standards in the apparel industry. Clinton's creation of the AIP was prompted by several successful campaigns in the 1990s that drew widespread attention to sweatshop labor abuses, sparking criticism of the [Page 149]garment industry. To address the highly adversarial relationship between industry on one side and labor and human rights organizations on the other side, the AIP began a dialogue between apparel industry leaders and human rights and labor activists. The goal was to create international industry-wide labor standards that would be acceptable to both sides. After the AIP produced a “Workplace Code of Conduct,” the FLA was created to enforce and to monitor the code.

The FLA includes many prominent apparel brands such as Nike, Eddie Bauer, Patagonia, and Adidas, among others. Governed by a board of companies, nongovernmental organizations, and colleges and universities, the FLA primarily serves to monitor the apparel and footwear industries. As of 2008, 28 firms and over 200 colleges and universities had signed on to the voluntary code of conduct, which addresses the areas of forced labor, child labor, harassment, discrimination, health and safety, freedom of association, wages and benefits, working hours, and overtime compensation. Companies participating in the FLA conduct internal monitoring and audits and are also subject to independent external monitoring. The FLA also allows for third-party complaints from anyone believing there has been a violation of the code of conduct.

The demand for such voluntary codes of conduct stems from the rapid growth of global industrial production and the differences in labor standards between different countries. Some countries have stricter labor (and environmental) standards and enforcement than others, leading companies to move their production to the locations with fewer regulations to take advantage of cheaper labor costs. In response, human rights activists and labor organizations, particularly student groups, have organized campaigns and protests exposing abuses and calling for stronger international labor standards and monitoring to end the exploitation of workers on a global scale.

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