Alta Gracia Verification Report

March 7, 2014

Dear Colleagues,

At the following link, please find the WRC’s latest comprehensive verification report regarding the Altagracia Project factory in Villa Altagracia, Dominican Republic. This factory produces collegiate licensed apparel for Knights Apparel’s Alta Gracia Apparel brand. 

The WRC engages in an ongoing comprehensive monitoring and verification process at Alta Gracia. As you are likely aware, Knights Apparel has committed to ensure that all Alta Gracia workers will receive a living wage, that factory management will fully respect workers’ freedom of association, and that the factory will fulfill all requirements of Dominican labor law and university codes of conduct. 

During this reporting period, the Altagracia Project maintained full compliance with Dominican law, university codes of conduct, and the project’s labor rights commitments. The factory continues to significantly outstrip the rest of the industry in ensuring ongoing compliance in areas where violations are endemic in the apparel industry, including: ensuring that overtime is always voluntary, providing appropriate accommodation for pregnant workers and workers returning from maternity leave, and ensuring that managers treat workers with respect and dignity in the workplace. In addition, the Altagracia Project has taken a major step forward in labor relations this year. The union and management worked together collaboratively and in good faith to negotiate and implement a collective bargaining agreement that memorializes the best practices implemented to date and introduces additional new benefits.

As always, please contact me if you have any questions.

Best,

Scott

Scott Nova 
Worker Rights Consortium 
5 Thomas Circle NW, 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20005 
ph 202 387 4884 
fax 202 387 3292 
[email protected] 
www.workersrights.org