AMERICAN LEFT HISTORY

This space is dedicated to the proposition that we need to know the history of the struggles on the left and of earlier progressive movements here and world-wide. If we can learn from the mistakes made in the past (as well as what went right) we can move forward in the future to create a more just and equitable society. We will be reviewing books, CDs, and movies we believe everyone needs to read, hear and look at as well as making commentary from time to time. Greg Green, site manager

Saturday, September 15, 2018

The New York Times highlights Model Alliance’s RESPECT Program!

NYT: Model Alliance’s RESPECT Program offers “set of comprehensive industry standards developed by models to govern behaviors, rights, payment and recourse, as well as a detailed list of consequences and processes…”

Model Alliance latest to deploy WSR model in fight for rights and dignity in the workplace; RESPECT Program developed in conjunction with CIW, Worker-driven Social Responsibility Network…

As the #MeToo movement continues to make waves across the country, the Model Alliance is leading the fight to give fashion models a real voice at work. Aiming “to promote fair treatment, equal opportunity, and more sustainable practices in the fashion industry, from the runway to the factory floor,” the Model Alliance has become the latest worker organization to adopt the Worker-driven Social Responsibility model in its efforts to win dignity and respect for its members. And just last week, their efforts caught the attention of the fashion industry’s hometown paper, the New York Times.

Sexual harassment and assault have plagued the fashion industry for decades, in large part because – until now – perpetrators have been able to commit such violations with impunity. But that is about to change. Just this past May, the Model Alliance launched the RESPECT Program, a legally-binding agreement to protect models from sexual violence at work. It offers a first-of-its kind, enforceable Code of Conduct for the fashion industry, with mandatory consequences for brands, modeling agencies, photographers, and others who violate the terms of the Code. If that all sounds familiar to you as a frequent reader of this site – it should! The RESPECT Program draws from the successful model of the Fair Food Program in US agriculture, and was developed in partnership with the CIW and the new Worker-driven Social Responsibility Network.

Last week, the New York Times ran an excellent, feature-length article that exposed the fashion industry’s ugly history of sexual abuse and humiliation of its workers, and lifted up the Model Alliance’s RESPECT Program as the most comprehensive solution to the industry’s longstanding ills. Today, we congratulate the Model Alliance for this well-earned attention, and bring you the Alliance’s own web post on the Times report in its entirety...