Bob Wise: “I first tonight want to commend the Kellwood plant in Spencer, WV. As garment manufacturers across the Nation are…”

“I first tonight want to commend the Kellwood plant in Spencer, WV. As garment manufacturers across the Nation are working to improve working conditions, I have today sent a letter to the Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, praising the Kellwood Co. of Spencer as an innovative firm which is a step ahead in the push to eliminate abuse of labor laws. Kellwood, which is the largest private label clothing supplier in the United States, employs 500 people at a major manufacturing and distribution facility in West Virginia. This facility has long been a stabilizing force in the community and is a respected and revered employer. In the summer of 1995, Kellwood began implementing a program requiring its contractors to submit to independent audits and, if needed, follow-up remediation efforts. The company is now in the process of completing audits of its contractors nationwide to make sure they are following the rules. I believe these voluntary efforts by Kellwood track perfectly with the Labor Department's no-sweat initiative and they are successful in correcting the contractor problems that exist in the industry. The U.S. Department of Labor no-sweat campaign is an effort to crack down on sweatshops and clothing contractors violating the Fair Labor Standards Act by using child labor that forces workers to put in excessive hours without adequate pay or operating unsafe shops. The Kellwood Co. has become a corporate leader in eliminating these abuses.”