Some company codes support freedom of association, but the codes may be meaningless in countries that suppress unions. Pay a living wage. First, this must be defined. Even in the U.S., the minimum wage is below the poverty line for a family. Still, the amount of extra money a living wage would take seems small by U.S. standards.
Companies respond that every cent counts.
The best way to eliminate sweatshops would be for governments worldwide to enact humane labor laws and enforce them. Since that's unlikely to happen anytime soon, Consumers Union endorses efforts to standardize external monitoring and create a credible private organization to oversee it. Ideally, such a program would result in a label identifying items made under humane conditions. Until the current efforts are up and running, it's impossible to tell whether they will fill this need. Look for the union label.