Background below:
Dear Friend of Ethical Purchasing,
Success! I am very happy to report that Council reinstated the full time
contracting specialist position to the end of 2008, in the Materials
Management department to develop and implement a comprehensive Sustainable and Ethical Purchasing Policy that incorporates broader environmental and social objectives as Phase II, and to provide support to all City departments and boards in administering the Ethical Purchasing Policy.
Vision Vancouver councillors, with your tremendous help was able to convince
the Mayor and the NPA that their previous action in the elimination of the
staff person was a mistake.
I am also happy to report that there was no amendment to the Ethical
Purchasing Policy that would have weakened it.
There is however the challenge of the current Park Board as they have
weakened their policy. I would be please to work with all of you to
convince them the error of their ways. Please let me know if I can be of
help in the future.
Thank you again for speaking out as I know that it had a great effect.
Sincerely,
Raymond Louie
Councillor, City of Vancouver
Former Co-chair of the COV Ethical Purchasing Policy Task Force
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April 17, 2006
City of Vancouver cuts funds to implement their Ethical Purchasing Program
http://www.torontothebetter.net/event-060424.htm
Just over a year ago the City of Vancouver became the first Canadian city to
approve an Ethical Purchasing Policy to ensure that city apparel is produced
under fair working conditions. The City assigned one full-time staff person
to enforce the policy. The Vancouver policy is seen as a model by other
cities and No Sweat activists across Canada.
A few days ago, Vancouver’s new City Council gutted the landmark Ethical
Purchasing Policy. Even though a report by staff indicated that the City had
actually saved money on apparel purchases since the policy was adopted, the
Council voted to leave the policy guidelines in place, but cut the necessary
funding for a staff member to enforce the policy.
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No Sweat Update
February 22, 2005
http://www.maquilasolidarity.org/nosweat/news/nosweat_update_feb2205.htm
On February 17, the City of Vancouver formally adopted an Ethical Purchasing
Policy and Supplier Code of Conduct for apparel and agricultural goods being
purchased by the City. Thanks to the hard work of No Sweat activists in
British Columbia, Vancouver is now the first Canadian municipality to fully
adopt a set of No Sweat standards for its purchases.
The final version of Vancouver’s Ethical Purchasing Policy can be found at:
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20050217/cs7AppendixA.htm
The final version of Vancouver’s Supplier Code of Conduct can be found at:
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20050217/cs7AppendixB.htm
The City staff report on the policy can be found at:
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20050217/cs7.htm
Minutes of the February 17, 2005 Vancouver City Council meeting are
available at:
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20050217/csmin.htm
The BC Ethical Purchasing Group, who led the campaign for Vancouver’s
policy, is a local coalition including Oxfam Canada, the Maquila Solidarity
Network, UNITE HERE, the Vancouver and New Westminister labour councils and
the west coast offices of the Canadian Labour Congress, as well as student
groups at SFU, UBC and Capilano College and interested individuals.
