COTTON--CHILD LABOR--BOYCOTT THESE STORES UNTIL THEY STOP USING COTTON PICKED BY CHILD SLAVES

ACTION ALERT--BOYCOTT--RECYCLE, RECONSTRUCT, OR SHOP FOR COTTON NOT MADE BY SLAVES, THIS CHRISTMAS

End Child Labor in the Cotton Industry!

Uzbekistan is the second largest cotton exporter in the world. Every year, the government of Uzbekistan forces thousands of children and teachers out of the classrooms and into the fields to harvest cotton. They work under harsh conditions, live in crowded barracks and miss out on valuable time in school.

The cotton these children are forced to pick ends up in the clothing we buy. While many companies have agreed to stop sourcing cotton from Uzbekistan, some are lagging behind.

Please join our efforts today to eradicate the use of forced child labor in Uzbek cotton fields and demand that Abercrombie & Fitch, Fred's, Gymboree and J Crew stop sourcing cotton from Uzbekistan.

Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Bruce Efrid, CEO, Fred's Inc
Customer Service J Crew
Customer Service, Abercrombie & Fitch
Jeff Harris, Gymboree
Matthew McCauley, CEO, Gymboree
Michael Hayes, Chairman, Fred's Inc.
Michael Jeffries, CEO, Abercrombie & Fitch
Millard Drexler, CEO, J Crew

Below is the sample letter:

Subject: Are you against the use of forced child labor?

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

I am shocked and concerned to learn that thousands of children are being forced from their classrooms to pick cotton in Uzbekistan. Since the International Labor Rights Forum's initial call to companies in 2008 to stop sourcing cotton from Uzbekistan, many companies in the clothing industry have made a commitment to do so, but your company has not.

Your lack of action in the case of Uzbek cotton has resulted in the continued use of forced child labor in Uzbekistan. You can contribute to ending these egregious abuses by joining other brands and retailers within the garment industry that have already been working on the campaign to end forced child labor in Uzbekistan.

I would like to hear from YOUR company specifically that you plan to join the International Labor Rights Forum and the brands and retailers in your industry, who have already made a commitment, in our efforts to end the use of child labor in the cotton fields of Uzbekistan. You can start b y issuing a public statement indicating that your company will not buy cotton from Uzbekistan and that you will notify all of your suppliers of this commitment.

I look forward to you joining our efforts to ensure that no products within the clothing industry are made with forced child labor.

Sincerely,

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/Uzbekcotton/d8wbgw6417d6j6dt?

SOME WAYS TO AVOID PURCHASING 'COTTON' GARMENTS MADE BY CHILD SLAVES

1. buy organic--or handmade, if possible
2. buy union garments [tee shirts] that will have labeled [non-sweatshop], etc.
3. if you sew, reconstruct what you do have--you can make awesome dresses, shirts, aprons, you name it, from reconstructed tee shirts, skirts, old dresses, etc., as well as making baby toys, children's toys, garments, so forth---there are numerous sites that tell how to make your own gifts, via reconstruction-recycling
4. shop at thrift stores, these clothes are already used and it helps keep the landfills down, as well as helps the job resources for non-profits, etc
5. have a clothing swap-or gift exchange at your church, community, with friends, etc

6. teach your children-teens about the working conditions of other nations/children, sweatshop labor, etc., what really goes behind many 'brand names' and yes, including low end stores, many of their garments are made 'sweatshop', etc., the more children-teens are aware, the more they themselves, will become more ethical 'shoppers', and they may take it upon themselves to learn to sew, exchange, and advocate--to be more conscious of how our decisions/behaviors do effect our neighbors, including across the oceans.

7. learn that quantity isn't always quality, or that 'labels' don't necessarily mean 'quality' either. Learn how to recycle--reconstruct and how to do actual sewing/arts, etc., not only for yourself but teach your children, not only is it good for the environment, good for fair trade, its good for their self-esteem [and yours] and good for learning to be creative, to explore one's creative side. [empowerment] Skills such as embroidery, painting, silk-printing, etc., are good to know and not hard to do, and one can use those to 'remake' an old garment.

8. when you find fair trade companies--anti-sweatshop, be sure to tell people about them, the more support they have, the more the demand will go up--for fair trade garments/items, therefore making it beneficial for corporations to choose to be ethical.