Sustainable Fashion: A Handbook for Educators

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sustaInaBlE FashIon : a handBooK For Educators

Questions for the groups to answer during their research
activity include:

• What is the primary work and mission of the initiative?


• What types of entities are members of this initiative
  (brands, NGOs, trade unions, other)?


• What kinds of programs or projects have been
  undertaken in the initiative to address working conditions
  in the supply chain?


• If possible, pick one project to profile and report on the
  outcomes or impact of the project.


• Based on the information reviewed during your research,
  determine whether this initiative (i) appears to be
  achieving its mission; (ii) has a positive impact on working
  conditions in the global supply chain.

Estimated time for session: 90-120 minutes

recommended pre-assignment reading includes:
Business for Social Responsibility, Monitoring of Global Supply
Chain Practices, Issue Brief, http://www.bsr.org/research/
issue-brief-details.cfm?DocumentID=48948

Clean Clothes Campaign, Short overview of multi-stakeholder
initiatives aimed at overseeing code implementation
http://www.cleanclothes.org/codes/code_initiatives.htm

Supplementary reading materials include:
Hartman, L.P. et al (eds.) (2003) Rising above sweatshops:
Innovative approaches to global labor challenges. Connecticut:
Praeger Publishers. Chapters 5, 7-9, 11 are especially
relevant.

d. Brands, supplIErs and socIal coMplIancE:
rolE plays

To conclude the investigation into globalization and
working conditions, two sets of case studies will be
presented based on actual historical events. Students will
be asked to take on particular roles in the case studies and
explore possible outcomes in each scenario. The educator
will then review the actual outcome of each scenario.

recommended pre-assignment reading material includes:
Jackson, R. (2006) ‘Responsible sourcing: Do corporate
initiatives make a difference?’, United Kingdom: Ethical
Corporation Magazine. http://www.ethicalcorp.com/
content.asp?ContentID=4499

Rosoff, Robert, (2003) ‘Beyond Codes of Conduct:

Addressing Labor Rights Problems in China’.

Washington D.C.: China Business Review, http://www.

chinabusinessreview.com/public/0403/rosoff.html

1A. Case study on freedom of association: Kukdong

in Mexico

Students are provided with the following information,

extracted from a Human Rights Watch report:

“In January, an activist group investigated conditions at the

Kukdong factory in Mexico, which manufactures shirts for

Nike [...]. The factory management had been accused

of labor rights violations including unlawful employment

of children, physical and verbal abuse of workers, failure

to provide maternity leave and benefits, firing workers

engaged in union activities, refusing to reinstate workers who

participated in a work stoppage earlier in January, and a

failure to honor the terms of a binding agreement between

Kukdong management and its workers. The [activist group]

concluded that many of the allegations were well-founded

and launched a campaign to seek redress for the workers.”^3

Roles: The following roles are assigned to specific students

or groups of students. Approximately 15-20 minutes

should be provided to discuss the case study, with

students sharing viewpoints based on their assigned roles.

• Nike representative


• Factory manager


• Factory worker


• Labor rights activist

Outcome: The final outcome can be shared at the

conclusion of the group discussion.

As a result, and due to pressure from Nike, in late

September, Kukdong (now renamed Mexmode

International) reinstated the ousted workers and agreed

to a new collective bargaining agreement with workers.

Kukdong also agreed to create a formal grievance

process, to address complaints of harassment by its

managers and to improve cafeteria conditions.^4

1B. Case study on freedom of association: Tarrant Ajalpan

in Mexico^5

Students are provided with the following information:

Workers at a garment factory in Mexico were facing

increasingly difficult work conditions, including forced

overtime work, non-payment of overtime wages, and

harassment by supervisors. Workers engaged in a