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Council approves apparel labor policy
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by Darryl Schnell
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
The City of Madison City Council swore in alders, elected the council’s president and finalized plans to ensure the smoking ban, the anti-sweatshop policy and the demolition of Ogg Hall during its meeting Tuesday evening.
Alders elected Ald. Paul Van Rooy, District 18, as Common Council president. Van Rooy has served on the council since 2001.
Van Rooy thanked the council for its support and trust. He ensured the council he would continue to do all he could to serve the city.
The meeting moved on as the council adopted a policy opposing any bills in the Wisconsin Legislature restricting local governments from smoking regulations and maintaining smoke-free environments. This adoption solidifies the implementation of the city’s smoking ban this summer.
Ald. Austin King, District 8, spoke out against the bill’s authors, state Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, and Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon.
“This issue goes way beyond smoking,” King said. “I take offense to the idea that a senator from northern Wisconsin thinks he can represent my constituents better than I can.”
According to King, Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle has said he would veto the bill if it passed.
“I’m just thankful we still have some defenders of local control,” King said.
Newly elected Ald. Jim Gruber, District 11, who also works as a musician, said he plays at bars often and smoking excludes some people from bars. Gruber is replacing Jean MacCubbin, who sponsored the smoking ban, adding he would like to co-sponsor the policy.
Gruber was especially concerned about the safety of employees.
“It’s about protecting workers,” Gruber said. “It’s safer and more comfortable to work in an area free of smoke.”
The council shifted its focus from smoking to apparel labor by adopting an anti-sweatshop policy.
King, who is the policy’s sponsor, said this is a statement of principle. He said Madison is now one of 100 cities with this type of policy in place.
According to King, city officials must work out enforcement tactics for the policy. He said clothing is an area the city will be sure to focus on. The city will attempt to make the world a better place by using its market power.
“[Madison] will focus on situations where the city can have a real effect on unethical practices,” King said.
The adopted policy states the Board of Estimates, in conjunction with city staff, will evaluate current purchasing decisions and create an effective purchasing policy no later than July 19.
The council also emphatically approved the demolition of Ogg Hall. Director of the Office of Planning and Landscape Architecture at the University of Wisconsin Gary Brown said the demolished Ogg Hall would be reused.
“We’ll be recycling 80 percent of the materials from Ogg Hall for use in other projects,” Brown said.
The approval, however, was not limited to a demolition.
The council also approved the building of a 600-bed residence hall on 801 W. Dayton St. The demolition will also make room for the expansion of recreational open space for the UW campus.
