Fair Labor Association

We wrapped up an insightful Fair Labor Association board convening this week, which included a training session on FLA’s Principle 9 and Civil Society Engagement. The session highlighted the importance of building meaningful, authentic partnerships with civil society, especially unions and worker organizations, as well as other key stakeholders. We explored the critical need to foster trust, safety, accessibility, and respect in these relationships. A key takeaway was the importance of ongoing communication and ensuring that engagement leads to tangible action and change. CSOs shared their expectations and challenges, emphasizing the need for companies to create safe, inclusive, and genuine spaces for collaboration. By the end of the session, participants walked away with practical strategies to enhance their CSO engagement and a deeper understanding of how to align with FLA’s benchmarks. It was energizing to see the FLA community and our partners working together at such a pivotal time for workers and human rights! (Thanks to Emily Dodson, LanPhuong Do, Tzlil Rubinstein, Shelly Heald Han, Nazma Akter, Fulya P?nar ?zcan + many more ??)

Many thanks to Bureau of International Labor Affairs friends and partners, Fair Labor Association and American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), for their strong support for ILAB's essential work. Smart, forward-looking businesses know that they will only thrive in a global economy where workers' rights are respected and enforced. And we know that full-throated business support is essential to the work of the U.S. government in this area.

It was fantastic getting to participate in my first ever Fair Labor Association board meeting! I learned so much about the work our staff, companies, universities, and civil society organizations are doing to achieve fair working conditions around the world. I also had the chance to be our on-staff photographer for the event - here are just a few of my favorite photos from the last three days.

Thanks to all the #FairLaborMember(s) and affiliates who participated in our March Board Meeting this week! It’s always wonderful to see our international network in person and have the opportunity to learn from each other.? ? Here’s just a few of our favorite moments ??? Check out our full gallery on Flickr for more: https://lnkd.in/eDfDZC-b

Fun news from the Lakeshirts team! We’re proud to share that our Marketing Team member, Viva, has officially been voted onto the Fair Labor Association (FLA) Communications Committee! At Lakeshirts, we believe in doing good work- not just in the apparel we create, but in the way we show up for our people, our partners, and the industry as a whole. Becoming an accredited company with the FLA was a huge step in our commitment to fair labor practices, and now, we’re excited to have Viva representing us in this important space, in addition to the work our entire Compliance & Social Responsibility team members do on the daily. This work is so important, and we’re grateful to be part of it. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that life’s truly better in a t-shirt, and that they really do go with everything…?? We can’t wait to see the impact Viva will make as part of the FLA Communications Committee. Check out more about Lakeshirts’ accreditation and the incredible work the FLA is doing here: https://lnkd.in/gn7zq2fj

This week, I had the privilege of participating in the Fair Labor Association’s Annual General Meeting in Washington, D.C., alongside PPAI’s Director of Sustainability & Responsibility Elizabeth Wimbush. Being in a room full of human rights champions was not only inspiring but also a powerful reminder of the impact we can make together—especially during these uncertain times. Here are some key takeaways from the event that I think can drive change in the promotional products industry and beyond: Collaboration Opportunities: PPAI and the FLA have tremendous potential to work together in elevating human rights due diligence (HRDD) and responsible sourcing. Industry Significance: The promotional products sector has a significant footprint in collegiate licensing and retail brand spaces—both of which are key supporters of the FLA. The more we learn, the better we can meet our clients and brand partners where they are on these issues. Education & Tools: PPAI can help FLA develop tailored educational content and guidance specifically for the promo industry. Conversely, FLA can help PPAI build meaningful training resources for suppliers and distributors to establish responsible sourcing practices. The meeting left me hopeful. When we prioritize fair labor and ethical sourcing, the ripple effects create value far beyond our industry. It’s a testament to the role responsible business plays in shaping a more equitable world. Promo Friends - How is your organization stepping up to ensure fair labor practices across its supply chain? I’d love to hear your thoughts and initiatives. ???? #EthicalSourcing #PromotionalProducts #ResponsibleBusiness #PPAI

What a week! An incredible opportunity to share, represent in true Lakeshirts fashion (pun definitely intended), and officially be voted in as a member of the FLA Communications Committee. I think God really did create me to be a communicator after all. ;) Honored to share alongside such passionate advocates and grateful to be part of the important work the Fair Labor Association is doing. Huge thanks to Tiffany for putting my name in the ring, to Stacy for welcoming me right away and showing me how I could jump in from the start ??, and to Lakeshirts | Blue 84 Licensed Apparel for doing the work to become an accredited company. There’s so much vital work ahead, and I’m excited to contribute, collaborate with my fellow committee members, and help amplify the impact of this mission. Learn more about the Fair Labor Association here: https://www.fairlabor.org

Thank you to Ravi Anupindi from University of Michigan, Lisa Sü? from Fair Wear Foundation, Delphine Williot from Fashion Revolution, and Eric Gottwald from AFL-CIO for engaging Fair Labor members in a great discussion at the FLA board meeting this week. They discussed the state of HRDD in 2025, the changes in Omnibus package, the impacts of government transitions, the role of unions, responsible purchasing practices & living wages, and the call to action for fashion brands to support the credibility of the CSDDD and CSRD reporting and supply chain due diligence requirements during the omnibus negotiations. #FairLabor #Omnibus #HRDD #LivingWages #ResponsiblePurchasingPractices

What do you do, when you end up at a table with senior Social Impact & Transparency leaders at lululemon, Nike, adidas, Patagonia, and UNIQLO? You tell them the hard facts on why effective, non-tokenistic youth engagement in the fashion industry is paramount for not only responsible ESG practices, but their responsibility to the world and current/future generations in their senior-level roles. Below is what I shared with these global leaders: 1. Around the world, young people are passionate about ethical fashion as consumers and innovators. Evident through?Threading Change's community, young people are showing up at university campuses, in board rooms, and in conferences, not only demanding for more transparency in supply chains, but also working collaboratively with senior-level leadership on youth engagement in fashion--after all, this is why Threading Change was created. 2. Do not lump all young people in the same category regarding action in fashion. Just because you see some youth on TikTok obsessed with fast fashion, it does not mean all youth are buying these products. Many of us consistently choose to thrift, swap, vintage shop, and repair our clothing. Gen Z, more than any other generation, are incredibly diligent about our purchasing power and decisions. Threading Change's policy briefs on our impact page indicate research and consultations we've done with global youth, on methods that young people choose ethical fashion, and what it means to us: https://lnkd.in/d4VcVAr5. 3. It's a big red flag for youth working in fashion when we engage with large fashion brands, and they direct us to their marketing team, rather than their sustainability/sourcing/social compliance teams. Let us make one thing clear, youth engagement IS NOT marketing. Engaging with young people is not to help brands sell more product, check a box, or gather insight/data on how to cater to Gen Z trends. With youth being the regulators, innovators, builders, and designers of today and tomorrow, brands have the responsibility and due diligence to engage youth in product design, sourcing, and end-of-life usage. Engaging with young people in fashion is critical, and every fashion brand--big or small, needs to do its part to ensure that youth voices are included. Not sure where to start on youth engagement in fashion and the circular economy? Threading Change can help! We have staff and volunteers across the world with expertise in best youth engagement practices, the informal sector, policy, and more! Please LinkedIn DM me for any inquiries. I am grateful to the Fair Labor Association for allowing me and Threading Change to join their spring board meeting. We are the latest NGO to join their Civil Society Caucus, working directly with NGO and business leaders in working groups and on the caucus regarding best practices in ethical sourcing, human rights, and due diligence. It's been a fantastic experience so far, and we are excited to continue working together!

We got an early start this morning at the Fair Labor March Board Meeting ?? ? Over breakfast, our board chair Michael Posner gave a great talk on his new book, #ConscienceIncorporated, which features FLA as a success case in business and human rights. ? We then had the chance to come together with our #FairLaborMember(s) for our board meeting. Social compliance and human rights professionals joined us in-person and virtually from all over the world.? ? Next up is the final event of our meeting: a 90-minute session on supporting due diligence in upstream supply chains. FLA will be sharing resources, tools, and initiatives that support companies in understanding and addressing risks in upstream supply chains, along with best practices and case examples. #FairLabor #DueDiligence #SupplyChains?