U.S. Approves Industry Effort on Sweatshops

Justice Department trustbusters, normally worried when competitors sit down together, gave their blessing to garment and shoe manufacturers who want to jointly develop humane workplaces and tell consumers they don’t use sweatshops. Nike, Reebok, L.L. Bean, Liz Claiborne, other apparel makers and labor and human rights groups asked the department’s antitrust division whether they could get together to set voluntary, humane labor standards and develop a labeling and advertising plan to inform consumers which companies abide by them.