We as union members and members of our community can contribute to the fight against child labor by shopping responsibly and communicating with our lawmakers. Following are some suggested ways to be a personal activist.

As consumers

Responsible Shopper informs consumers about companies that utilize child labor and maintains a list of consumer campaigns against such corporations.

At the Fair Trade Online Store, customers can select from a wide array of goods produced in a socially conscious manner (e.g., without the use of child labor).

Rugmark is a program that places special labels on Oriental rugs made without the use of child labor. In this way, it helps consumers to ensure that they are not purchasing the products of child labor.

As communicators

To contact President Obama, Vice President Biden, members of Congress, governors, and state legislators, please visit USA.gov.

To voice your support for Sen.Tom Harkin’s resolution calling upon the government of Uzbekistan to abide by its own laws and the international standards that prohibit forced and child labor, use this link to write to your senators.

To write to Fruit of the Loom demanding that they institute a company-wide human rights policy (covering their cotton suppliers) that bans child labor and upholds core labor rights and that they stop buying cotton from Uzbekistan, please use this address: