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Issue 2004 - Freedom of Association
Issue 2004 - Freedom of Association
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Company ProfileCompliance Program

New Era Cap Company's Compliance Program in FLA Applicable Facilities

The New Era Cap Company Social Compliance Program is responsible for implementing the New Era Cap Company Workplace Code of Conduct, which is based on the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct. The Vice President of Global Human Resources has overall responsibility for the New Era Cap Company Social Compliance Program.

During the reporting period, the Social Compliance Program was administered by a compliance team of company employees who dedicated some of their time to compliance-related activities. New Era reports that the team consisted of the Health and Safety Manager, the Vice President of Global Operations, Plant Managers, Plant Human Resource Managers, and the Executive Administrative Assistant. Among these team members, the Vice President of Global Operations and the Executive Administrative Assistant were responsible for overseeing remediation of non-compliance issues in Asia and the United States respectively.

The program utilized a third-party social compliance monitor, Accordia, Inc., to perform internal monitoring visits. In 2003, the program focused on education and awareness training for workers and performing baseline assessments of facilities.


New Era Cap Company's Approach to Compliance in 2003

Information provided in this section is based on reports submitted to the FLA by each Category B Licensee in January 2004. The points below briefly summarize New Era Cap Company's efforts to uphold its FLA Obligations in accordance with the FLA Charter. Click here to access FLA Company Obligations.
  • Individual letters were prepared and sent from the company president to stress the importance of the FLA and New Era Cap Company's commitment to the FLA and its monitoring principles.
  • New Era Cap Company obtains written certification from all manufacturing facilities that standards will be met and employees will be informed about the FLA and company codes.
  • New Era Cap Company translated and provided poster-sized copies of New Era Cap Company Codes to all suppliers.
  • Awareness training was conducted for approximately 1,600 workers in all company facilities. The training was done in small groups (approximately 30 workers) to encourage a better environment for learning and comprehension.
  • New Era Cap Company developed a program and conducted training in all domestic company owned facilities every other month on at least one element of the New Era Cap Company Code of Conduct.
  • New Era Cap Company contracted with a third party monitor to develop and deliver a PowerPoint training program on the New Era Cap Company Code to key employees for improved understanding of the program.
  • New Era Cap Company rolled out a policy requiring that a video training presentation of FLA and New Era Cap Company Codes is viewed by new both company (US) and factory employees during orientation (US and abroad).
  • New Era Cap Company developed a questionnaire based on elements of the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct to assess a facility's compliance.
  • New Era Cap Company has contracted with an Employee Assistance Program Administrator to act as a confidential conduit for non-unionized US workers to report non-compliance.
  • The Vice President of Global Human Resources receives weekly updates on the status of remediation, which is tracked using FLA tracking charts or third party tracking resources.
  • New Era Cap Company has conducted meetings with several unions and local groups to present the New Era Company Workplace Code of Conduct.
  • New Era Cap Company conducted internal monitoring at 100% of its contract suppliers, as well as all New Era Cap facilities.
  • The company reports that all internal monitoring visits conducted at company-owned factories and contract suppliers during the reporting period were unannounced.
  • New Era Cap Company created a position of Managing Director for Asia in 2003. That position has responsibility for active participation in remediation activities by visiting the Asian production facilities on unannounced visits to review remediation progress.
  • New Era Cap Company executive management meets monthly to review results of internal monitoring and develop action plans as necessary to ensure compliance with the code.
Click here to see a summary of monitoring conducted in facilities producing university-licensed goods for New Era.
Copyright 2004 by the Fair Labor Association