York Catholic school board plans to join WRC

Catholic New Times, July 4, 2004

AURORA, Ont. -- Students and teachers in an Ontario Catholic school board scored a significant victory in their regional 'No Sweat' campaign, the Manuela Solidarity Network reports.

On June 8, the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) adopted a Fair Labour Practices Policy, requiring all school uniform manufacturers to adhere to international labour standards and local labour laws. As of September. new and renewed uniform contracts will stipulate humane working conditions and decent wages within worldwide apparel industries.

The new policy also commits the board to join the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC), a U.S.-based organization assisting colleges and universities in implementing No Sweat policies. The YCDSB joins other Catholic educational institutions, including DePaul University, Loyola University-Chicago, Loyola University-New Orleans, St. John's University and the University of Notre Dame.

According to Scott Nova of the WRC, "The WRC Governing Board has been discussing the creation of an affiliation category for schools and school districts in response to the increasing number of inquiries the organization receives."

With over 51,000 students, the YCDSB is one of the largest Catholic school boards in Ontario. It is the first Canadian school board to join the WRC. In 2002, students and teachers in the YCDSB lobbied trustees for assurances that their uniforms were made under decent working conditions--"in line with the Catholic values being taught in their schools."