On Friday, January 12, the International Labor Rights Fund learned of a labor conflict in a Mexican factory producing Nike and Reebok sweatshirts for the collegiate market. We immediately contacted both companies to learn what they knew and what they were doing about the situation.

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright announced yesterday that the Clinton Administration will award the International Labor Rights Fund (ILRF) a new grant to fight the abuse of women in sweatshops. ILRF will use this grant to launch an important new public awareness campaign against workplace sexual harassment worldwide.

By STEVEN GREENHOUSE

Apparel and footwear factories overseas have slowly improved working conditions in response to a highly vocal anti-sweatshop movement, labor rights advocates say.

Pressure from college students and other opponents of sweatshops has led some factories that make goods for industry giants like Nike and the Gap to cut back on child labor, to use less dangerous chemicals and to require fewer employees to work 80-hour weeks, according to groups that monitor such factories.

The International Labor Rights Fund (ILRF) is pleased to announce a new pilot project to enable labor advocates in four countries to monitor factory conditions. We will work together with local partners in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Taiwan to monitor conditions in factories producing university-licensed apparel. We will also work with local NGOs and trade unions in Indonesia to monitor factories producing shoes and garments for companies involved in the Fair Labor Association.