Fair Labor Association
Encyclopedia
The Fair Labor Association (FLA), a non-profit labor rights organization, is a multi-stakeholder initiative bringing together companies, colleges and universities, and civil society organizations to improve working conditions worldwide by promoting adherence to international and national labor laws. The FLA was established in 1999 and evolved out of task force created by President Bill Clinton
that came together to end the use of child labor and other sweatshop practices in apparel and footwear factories. Since 2001, Auret van Heerden has been the President and CEO of the FLA.
The FLA conducts monitors factories all over the world, including: the Americas; Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA); South Asia; South East Asia; and East Asia. There are currently over 4,500 facilities subject to FLA independent monitoring. On average, FLA accredited monitors conduct approximately 150 proactive, unannounced audits and verification visits per year. FLA affiliates are responsible for working with the facilities following an inspection to develop a corrective action plan (CAP) to address any violations of the code and for conducting follow-up visits to ensure the plan is implemented. The FLA also conducts follow-up visits for a select group of audits to verify the actions taken by the FLA affiliate and supplier.
The FLA external monitoring system promotes transparency. The FLA posts the results of factory audits on its website, as well as the actions plans that FLA-affiliated companies develop with their suppliers to correct any issues that are found.
The FLA also promotes a complaint channel for third parties in cases where there is a persistent or serious labor violation in a production facility used by any FLA-affiliated company, and where other grievance mechanisms or lack of procedures have failed workers. Any person, organization, or company may file a complaint with the FLA, as all stakeholders have a role in improving corporate accountability for labor rights. When merited, the FLA oversees investigations and corrective action for any violations found.
The Zeitz Foundation
is the first non-profit member organization to join the Fair Labor Association.
The human and labor rights violations in domestic and overseas supply chains that surfaced in the mid-1990s were brought to the forefront on university and college campuses by student activists and national human rights groups. In response, universities joined companies and civil society organizations, including trade unions, in opposition to sweatshop labor. There are currently 208 colleges and universities that are affiliated with the FLA. Nearly a 1,000 collegiate licensees that produce products for these institutions, have joined the FLA. These licensees are required to disclose the names of facilities producing collegiate products and to uphold the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct in these facilities. High-revenue licensees and those with substantial overseas suppliers must submit their facilities to the FLA independent external monitoring process as well.
The Board of Directors must vote to accredit the labor compliance programs of Participating Companies. As of 2008, the FLA Board had accredited the labor compliance programs of Adidas, Eddie Bauer, Gildan, H&M, Liz Claiborne, New Era Cap, Nike, Nordstrom, Patagonia, Phillips-Van Heusen and PUMA AG.
, have stated that the FLA has "... a weak code that fails to provide for women's rights, a living wage, the full public disclosure of factory locations, or university control over the monitoring process." WAAKE-UP!
was also critical of the Fair Labor Association as much of its funding comes from organizations it monitors, creating a potential conflict of interest
. The organization FLA Watch monitors the Fair Labor Association.
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
that came together to end the use of child labor and other sweatshop practices in apparel and footwear factories. Since 2001, Auret van Heerden has been the President and CEO of the FLA.
Monitoring and Verification
Companies that join the FLA commit to upholding the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct, which is based on International Labour Organization standards, and to establishing internal systems for monitoring workplace conditions and maintaining code standards throughout their supply chains. The FLA conducts independent and unannounced audits of factories used by FLA affiliates to evaluate compliance of all code elements and verify companies' internal compliance efforts.The FLA conducts monitors factories all over the world, including: the Americas; Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA); South Asia; South East Asia; and East Asia. There are currently over 4,500 facilities subject to FLA independent monitoring. On average, FLA accredited monitors conduct approximately 150 proactive, unannounced audits and verification visits per year. FLA affiliates are responsible for working with the facilities following an inspection to develop a corrective action plan (CAP) to address any violations of the code and for conducting follow-up visits to ensure the plan is implemented. The FLA also conducts follow-up visits for a select group of audits to verify the actions taken by the FLA affiliate and supplier.
The FLA external monitoring system promotes transparency. The FLA posts the results of factory audits on its website, as well as the actions plans that FLA-affiliated companies develop with their suppliers to correct any issues that are found.
The FLA also promotes a complaint channel for third parties in cases where there is a persistent or serious labor violation in a production facility used by any FLA-affiliated company, and where other grievance mechanisms or lack of procedures have failed workers. Any person, organization, or company may file a complaint with the FLA, as all stakeholders have a role in improving corporate accountability for labor rights. When merited, the FLA oversees investigations and corrective action for any violations found.
The Zeitz Foundation
Zeitz Foundation
The Zeitz Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Germany and headquartered in Kenya with representation in the United States and the United Kingdom...
is the first non-profit member organization to join the Fair Labor Association.
FLA Affiliates
FLA affiliates are partners in implementing the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct and developing and sharing best practices in labor compliance globally. FLA-affiliated companies represent a large spectrum of industry. The overwhelming majority of factories the FLA audits are in the apparel sector (approximately 75%), followed by footwear, equipment, and accessories. Other industries represented in the FLA supplier database include collectibles, jewelry, hosiery, paper products, home goods, electronic products, and bags. FLA-affiliated companies fall under different categories: Participating Company, Participating Supplier, Category B Collegiate Licensee, Category C Collegiate Licensee, or Category D Collegiate Licensee. Participating Companies and Participating Suppliers submit their entire supply chain to the FLA independent external monitoring process and commit to a range of obligations as affiliates of the FLA.The human and labor rights violations in domestic and overseas supply chains that surfaced in the mid-1990s were brought to the forefront on university and college campuses by student activists and national human rights groups. In response, universities joined companies and civil society organizations, including trade unions, in opposition to sweatshop labor. There are currently 208 colleges and universities that are affiliated with the FLA. Nearly a 1,000 collegiate licensees that produce products for these institutions, have joined the FLA. These licensees are required to disclose the names of facilities producing collegiate products and to uphold the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct in these facilities. High-revenue licensees and those with substantial overseas suppliers must submit their facilities to the FLA independent external monitoring process as well.
FLA Accreditation of Labor Compliance Programs
Accreditation by the Fair Labor Association is the most advanced recognition of a company’s labor compliance program. Participating Companies whose labor compliance programs have been accredited have demonstrated substantial compliance with the Workplace Code of Conduct throughout their supply chain. They have undergone over a two- to three-year implementation period extensive performance reviews, including independent factory monitoring, verification of remediation initiatives, and a thorough evaluation of their internal protocols and auditing, as well as extensive training through the FLA.The Board of Directors must vote to accredit the labor compliance programs of Participating Companies. As of 2008, the FLA Board had accredited the labor compliance programs of Adidas, Eddie Bauer, Gildan, H&M, Liz Claiborne, New Era Cap, Nike, Nordstrom, Patagonia, Phillips-Van Heusen and PUMA AG.
Support for the FLA Initiative
In his opening remarks to the Voluntary Principles Plenary in Oslo, UN Special Representative on Business and Human Rights John Ruggie held up the FLA as a model multi-stakeholder initiative: "The gold standard among voluntary initiatives, I think, is the Fair Labor Association. It leads the way precisely because its Secretariat is encouraged and even mandated to cast a critical eye on performance and to recommend practical innovations—to stay focused like a laser on the effectiveness and legitimacy of the effort as a whole."Criticism
The United Students Against SweatshopsUnited Students Against Sweatshops
United Students Against Sweatshops is a student organization with chapters at over 250 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. In April 2000, USAS founded the Worker Rights Consortium , an independent monitoring organization that investigates labor conditions in factories that...
, have stated that the FLA has "... a weak code that fails to provide for women's rights, a living wage, the full public disclosure of factory locations, or university control over the monitoring process." WAAKE-UP!
WAAKE-UP!
WAAKE-UP! was a student and community coalition at the University of Colorado at Boulder active from 1998 to 2001. WAAKE-UP! adopted the motto "Action without Awareness is ignorant...
was also critical of the Fair Labor Association as much of its funding comes from organizations it monitors, creating a potential conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
. The organization FLA Watch monitors the Fair Labor Association.
See also
- International Labour OrganizationInternational Labour OrganizationThe International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the...
- Labor rightsLabor rightsLabor rights or workers' rights are a group of legal rights and claimed human rights having to do with labor relations between workers and their employers, usually obtained under labor and employment law. In general, these rights' debates have to do with negotiating workers' pay, benefits, and safe...
- Worker Rights ConsortiumWorker Rights ConsortiumThe Worker Rights Consortium is an independent labor rights monitoring organization focused on protecting the rights of workers who sew apparel and make other products sold in the United States, particularly those bearing college or university logos...
External links
- Business Social Compliance Initiative BSCI
- Clean Clothes Campaign CCC
- Ethical Trading Initiative ETI
- Fair Labor Association FLA
- Fair Wear Foundation FWF
- Human Rights Watch
- International Labour Organization ILO
- Joint Initiative on Corporate Accountability & Workers' Rights JO-IN
- Social Accountability International SA8000
- Worker's Rights Consortium WRC