Contact Robert Walden for further information. In the spring of 1997 Bishop Weaver, along with other Pennsylvania religious leaders made a public commitment to monitor the effects of welfare legislation on the poor, and to stand in solidarity with the poor through ministries of advocacy, inclusivity, friendship, and empowerment. The Church and Society Work Team has resources for the study of welfare reform and related issues. Pennsylvania has accumulated a large surplus of money from federal welfare funds that could be used to provide basic education and training and genuine opportunities for welfare recipient to become productive and economically self-reliant citizens. Also, the Pennsylvania Coalition for Jobs is promoting legislation that would create public service jobs for welfare recipients.
Sweatshops are still common around the world, especially in the clothing industry.
For example, Wal-Mart pays no taxes to Nicaragua, where some of its products are manufactured, even though its worldwide annual sales are 200 times greater than Nicaragua's entire national budget. Other major companies which contract with sweatshops include Guess, Walt Disney Company, Nike, Kmart, JC Penny, Esprit, Victoria's Secret, and the May Company. United Methodist Women and the National Labor Committee provide extensive on-line information. Other agencies, such as the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility and the United Methodist General Board of Pensions have monitored sweatshop activities, but the reports are not available on-line. People of Faith Network , a multi-faith campaign for justice, is encouraging letters to Kohl's and other major retailers asking them to end child labor and sweatshop conditions.