Shop with a Conscience This Holiday Season

December 2, 2008

The start of the holiday shopping season also is the start of the most active time of year for charitable giving. But in the midst of an economic crisis, Americans are considering what, or even if, they can contribute to charity this year.

With that in mind, what about the notion that our shopping - the way we choose to spend our dollars - can create positive change? When you choose to buy a sweater for your son or socks for your sister, you can affect the world around you.

SweatFree Communities and the International Labor Rights Forum have released the"2009 Shop with a Conscience Consumer Guide"; providing a list of sweatshop-free options for consumers who want to purchase shirts, pants, coats, scarves, hats and other apparel made under ethical conditions.

The guide profiles more than 20 companies that produce clothing in accordance with international fair labor standards, such as ensuring workers' health and safety, living wages and good benefits, and treatment with respect and dignity. In addition, the guide promotes clothing produced in shops where workers are organized into democratic unions or worker-owned cooperatives and have an effective, collective voice in determining their wages and working conditions.

You can also buy union-made UNITEHERE gear at the UNITEHERE store

READ MORE >

UNITE HERE stands up for auto workers on GritTV

November 24, 2008

Watch GritTV for President Raynor's thoughts on the election, the auto industry crisis and the Employee Free Choice Act. Defending auto industry workers' right to earn a middle class living and pointing out the concessions that the United Auto Workers have already made, President Raynor goes on to explain how the U.S.'s lack of national healthcare has disadvantaged the auto industry. He calls today's political environment "a storm of need, and possibility." Watch online here


GRITtv with Laura Flanders airs Mon-Thurs, at 8pm & 1 am ET, on Free Speech TV (DISH Network ch. 9415), on public stations and online at www.grittv.org and www.firedoglake.com/lauraflanders

READ MORE >