Governor Paterson has asked the Commissioners of Labor and General Services to develop a set of guidelines that will require apparel-purchasing agencies to restrict their purchases of clothing that originates in whole or in part from manufacturers that violate labor standards.

In a letter to the Executive Director of SweatFree Communities, Governor Paterson presented his view that state and local governments need to do their part to prevent what he termed "a race to the bottom" in which governments procure cheap merchandise on the backs of laborers toiling ins sweatshop conditions.

The campaign to get the state to get on board the SweatFree consortium began in October 2007. Wells notes that the consortium is going to be incorporated as a not-for-profit and New York will have a seat on its board of directors.

Labor department officials were not available for comment.