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Resolution Supporting
An Ethical Procurement Policy for the City of San Antonio

WHEREAS, Each year, the City of San Antonio spends a significant amount in taxpayer funds contracting with private sector vendors for the purchase or rental of goods; and

WHEREAS, The citizens of San Antonio have the right to information about the expenditure of public money and to the assurance that our tax dollars will not be used to subsidize illegal or inhumane practices on the part of vendors; and

WHEREAS, The prudent expenditure of public dollars requires that the City be able to knowledgeably select responsible contractors and subcontractors who do not engage in “sweatshop” abuses, defined by the U.S. Department of Labor as violations of two or more of the most basic labor laws, including those related to child, indentured or slave labor; wage and overtime violations; sexual abuse or intimidation; and fire safety or illegal workplace hazards; and

WHEREAS, The City’s current procurement process does not monitor or evaluate vendors for such abuses, despite evidence from an independent monitoring agency that some of the city’s garment suppliers have been cited for sweatshop practices abroad; and

WHEREAS, Many jurisdictions, including over 50 cities and counties nationwide, have already taken steps to address this critical issue through the adoption of ethical procurement policies that require disclosure of basic information about workplace conditions and provide a process to work with companies in response to violations; and

WHEREAS, Large institutional purchasers have the power to command the attention of manufacturers and contractors, eliciting positive change in a way that individual consumers cannot achieve alone; and

WHEREAS, By adopting an ethical procurement ordinance, the City of San Antonio will make an enforceable commitment to responsible contracting and will ensure that public funds be used solely for legal and humane workplaces that reflect the values of the people of the City of San Antonio; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That we, the undersigned, strongly urge the San Antonio City Council to adopt a comprehensive ethical procurement policy that will require compliance with applicable local and international labor laws, disclose basic information about workplace conditions and establish a process to work with companies in response to complaints and violations.