AGAINST CHILD LABOR

WHEREAS, between 100 million and 200 million children, worldwide, between the ages of 4 and 15, work in order to support their families instead of attending school; and

WHEREAS, many of these children work 16 hours a day, seven days a week, often under appalling, life-threatening conditions and endure disease and malnutrition; and

WHEREAS, some children are forcibly removed from their parents or sold into servitude by their parents in order to pay family debts; and

WHEREAS, The International Labor Organization has adopted Convention 138 on the Minimum Age for Admission to Employment; and

WHEREAS, items produced by child labor are sold throughout the U.S. by retailers, some of whom claim ignorance regarding the working conditions under which products are manufactured; and

WHEREAS, American workers face unfair competition from imports produced by companies that exploit children and other low-wage workers; and

WHEREAS, AFT believes that universal public education is a key to eliminating child labor and poverty:

RESOLVED, that the AFT join labor, consumer, religious, civic and other organizations in consumer initiatives to educate the public about the widespread use of child labor and to pressure manufacturers to monitor and improve working conditions; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT support the international effort to eliminate child labor through the campaign to place the RUGMARK label on hand-crafted Oriental rugs, in order to signify that the products are not made by child labor, and

RESOLVED, that the AFT support efforts to raise funds to rescue children from bondage and to build schools to provide them with education opportunities; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT urge the U.S. Senate to ratify I.L.O. Convention 138 against child labor, and the government to negotiate language prohibiting the use of child labor in international trade agreements; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT reaffirm its commitment to universal public education as a means of eradicating poverty and advancing human rights and democratic development.