Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco
Issue: Environmental and Social Justice
Program Topic: Walmart and Gap employ former Senators Mitchell and Snowe for alternative Bangladesh safety agreement
Key Discussion Points:
a) Today we look at the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, in the wake of recent disasters in the garment industry, including the Tasreen Fire which killed 112 in November, and the Rana Building collapse in April, which killed 1,127 workers.
b) 50 retail giants have signed the Accord. Though mostly European, 5 US companies, including Sean John, Abercrombie and Fitch and PVH, the parent company of Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, have signed the Accord; but a number of US companies have not notably, Wal-Mart and Gap.
c) In the wake of bad publicity and an international campaign, these companies have now employed former Maine Senators Mitchell and Snowe of the Bipartisan Policy Center to “facilitate” a separate set of industry safety standards. Activists say Wal-Mart and Gap have sought out Mitchell and Snowe for political smokescreen.
Guest:
Bjorn Skorpen Claeson,
http://gapdeathtraps.com/faq/
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-fisk-bangladesh-apparel-accord-20130517%2c0%2c1118465.story
http://bipartisanpolicy.org/news/press-releases/2013/05/leading-north-american-retailers-and-brands-address-systemic-safety-issu
http://fashionista.com/2013/05/gap-wal-mart-working-on-another-competing-bangladesh-safety-reform-plan/
http://laborrights.org/sites/default/files/publications-and-resources/Accord_on_Fire_and_Building_Safety_in_Bangladesh_2013-05-13.pdf
http://www.industriall-union.org/sectors/garment