I recently wrote to Old Navy and Gap companies about their worker conditions. Their response letters were remarkably similar! I wonder if they have gathered together to help organize their commercial efforts in a way that would artificially affect prices, or if they are actually owned by the same corporation.
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Hello Old Navy representative!
I am interested in knowing more about your manufacturing partners'
working conditions. I represent consumers who care about the economic
and social conditions their human partners experience, and who will
tailor their purchases to help them. Is Old Navy a company that helps
its workers live above the poverty line, or attain a good life as
defined by International and UN standards? I like doing business with
companies that treat their partners fairly.
Thank you for your interest!
William Bunker
On Sat, 19 Aug 2006 10:37:25 -0400, "oldnavy.com Service"
<custserv@oldnavy.com> said:
Dear William,
Thank you for your inquiry about the treatment of workers and the factories that make our clothes. We share your concern, as this is also a very important matter to us. We want our products to be made in a safe and humane environment, and we've devoted significant amounts of time, money and energy toward improving factory conditions and the lives
of garment workers.
We're committed in our efforts. Nearly a decade ago, we created a Code of Vendor Conduct establishing our principles and the expectations we have for factories that produce our clothes. Today we have one of the most comprehensive factory monitoring programs in the apparel industry with more than 90 employees around the world who are devoted to
improving the factories in which our products are made. We make both announced and surprise visits that include interviewing workers, reviewing documents, inspecting health, safety and labor conditions, and more. In addition, we work closely with nonprofit and governmental
organizations, independent monitors and community leaders, striving to promote change through greater collaboration among all concerned stakeholders.
We'd like to share more about our program with you, and we invite you to visit our web site at:
http://www.gapinc.com/public/SocialResponsibility/socialres.shtml
We've also recently published our first Social Responsibility Report which is available online as well. We want our customers, employees and investors to know what we're doing to improve factories, and your feedback about our efforts is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely, Claud
Customer Service Consultant
William Bunker:
"I know that factory workers receive a substantially tiny fraction of garment sales, regardless of the practices made to improve their conditions. I would like you to commit to price as a standing multiple of worker salary, or worker salary as a standing fraction of garment price. This number could be 10% of end price, but currently it ranks in the lowest single digits, with the greatest share of price going to marketing and profit. This effect will substantially improve the lives of many workers in Indonesia and other nations who make about half the poverty level of income.
The current system is unacceptable to consumers. I am pleased that you share our concern. Please publish this worker/price ratio figure on your product labeling.
Thank you for your concern!
<><>Dear Mr. Bunker,
Thank you for your inquiry about the treatment of workers and the factories that make our clothes. We share your concern, as this is also a very important matter to us. We want our products to be made in a safe and humane environment, and we've devoted significant amounts of time, money and energy toward improving factory conditions and the lives of garment workers.
We're committed in our efforts. Nearly a decade ago, we created a Code of Vendor Conduct establishing our principles and the expectations we have for factories that produce our clothes. Today we have one of the most comprehensive factory monitoring programs in the apparel industry with more than 90 employees around the world who are devoted to improving the factories in which our products are made. We make both
announced and surprise visits that include interviewing workers, reviewing documents, inspecting health, safety and labor conditions, and more. In addition, we work closely with nonprofit and governmental organizations, independent monitors and community leaders, striving to promote change through greater collaboration among all concerned stakeholders.
We'd like to share more about our program with you, and we invite you to visit our web site at: http://www.gapinc.com/public/SocialResponsibility/socialres.shtml
We've also recently published our first Social Responsibility Report which is available online as well. We want our customers, employees and investors to know what we're doing to improve factories, and your feedback about our efforts is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Jessica
Customer Service Consultant"
David Rockefeller says this:
"For more than a century ideological extremists at either end of the political spectrum have seized upon well-publicized incidents such as my encounter with Castro to attack the Rockefeller family for the inordinate influence they claim we wield over American political and economic institutions. Some even believe we are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as ‘internationalists’ and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure – one world, if you will. If that’s the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it."
The current system is unacceptable to consumers. I am pleased that you share our concern.
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