Excerpt from article:

 
A coalition of human rights, religious and labor groups is calling on Gov. Martin O’Malley to stop spending $8 million a year on companies that hire sweatshops overseas. The demand follows a report Tuesday from SweatFree Maryland and SweatFree Communities, charging Maryland with letting ‘‘nearly $8 million each year” in contracts to four companies that use the overseas factories to produce uniforms and shoes for state workers and emergency personnel.

The report, ‘‘Subsidizing Sweatshops,” was compiled from interviews with employees at 12 factories in nine countries that do work for eight major uniform brands. Included were reports of forced and unpaid overtime, extensive child working hours, intimidation and harassment.

‘‘The report confirmed what we already knew: Severe sweatshop violations are pervasive in the uniform industry. It is the norm,” said report author Bjorn S. Claeson, a member of SweatFree Communities in Baltimore...