S-3961.1  _______________________________________________

                    SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 8020

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

By Senators Thibaudeau, Heavey, McAuliffe, Brown, Wojahn, Franklin, Fraser and Spanel

Read first time 01/20/98.  Referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.

Urging Congress to set employment standards for offshore companies.

    TO THE HONORABLE WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

    We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

    WHEREAS, The United States is a major importer of manufactured goods and is the largest importer of apparel items in the world; and

    WHEREAS, Many of the imported items are manufactured by business entities whose corporate ownership is American, but are produced outside the political boundaries of the United States; and

    WHEREAS, Business entities headquartered in the United States are able to exercise significant economic, social, and political influence in the nations in which they establish manufacturing facilities; and

    WHEREAS, Business entities headquartered in the United States may be able to obtain significant economic advantages as a result of locating manufacturing facilities in nations where competition for employment is particularly high; and

    WHEREAS, Many of the persons employed by business entities headquartered in the United States are minors;

    NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that:

    (1) The Congress of the United States establish a standard to which all business entities that employ minors in their manufacturing facilities in other nations must adhere;

    (2) The standard require, at a minimum, that each minor employed by a company subject to the standard be provided a clear and realistic opportunity to complete a basic education in his or her native country, with the support of the employing company;

    (3) Such opportunity be provided regardless of whether the minor remains employed by a company subject to the standard; and

    (4) Companies subject to the standard be provided all necessary technical assistance by the federal government in providing educational opportunities.

    BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable William J. Clinton, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.

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