ALTA GRACIA APPAREL NOW AVAILABLE AT THE UH BOOKSTORE

Can the �hoodie� in your closet help clothe an entire family living thousands of miles away? Could the next T-shirt you buy change someone�s life?

The answer to both questions is �yes� thanks to a partnership between apparel manufacturer Alta Gracia and Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC.

Alta Gracia (a division of Knights Apparel) produces emblematic, high-quality T-shirts and fleece garments which are available at the UH bookstore managed by Barnes & Noble. What makes Alta Gracia so remarkable is their industry-leading commitment to provide workers with a sustainable standard of living and the opportunity to raise their families out of poverty.

Manufactured in a factory in the Dominican Republic (DR), every Alta Gracia employee receives benefits and a living wage. This �living wage� is 340 percent above the DR�s minimum wage for apparel workers and certified by the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC) as sufficient to cover the following expenses for a family of four:

� Food & water
� Housing and energy
� Clothing
� Health care
� Transportation
� Childcare
� Education

This �living wage� also includes funds for savings and miscellaneous discretionary spending.

Alta Gracia is the result of a multi-year project involving Knights Apparel, leading independent labor rights groups, NGO�s, Health and Safety experts, unions and Barnes & Noble. This remarkable and collaborative endeavor was recently profiled in the New York Times and has received praise from different industry and labor groups.

�For a major retailer like Barnes & Noble to lend its enthusiastic support to this initiative is very heartening and we commend the company�s leadership,� say Scott Nova of the WRC.

�We are very proud to be a part of this endeavor and to offer our students another opportunity to purchase high-quality merchandise that was manufactured with a high regard for workers rights,� says UH Bookstore Manager, Felix Robinson.

Barnes and Noble requires every campus bookstore supplier to adhere to the Fair Labor Association�s (FLA) Code of Conduct which includes rules on monitoring and reporting on the situation of workers in garment factories around the world. Barnes & Noble is a longstanding member of the FLA where they are part of the group�s Industry Caucus. They were also the first retail member of the FLA�s University Advisory Council�s Student Advisory Committee.

Alta Gracia is also committed to fully respecting the workers� right to freedom of association, collective bargaining and the right to organize. To ensure ongoing compliance and transparency, Alta Gracia is working with the Maquiladora Health and Safety Support Network, Dominican Labor Federation, and Fedotrazonas to provide ongoing verification of the wages, benefits and working conditions in the Alta Gracia factory.

Alta Gracia clothing can now be purchased at the UH Bookstore at the University Center the UH Fan Shop at the Athletic/Alumni Building. They will also be made available at the Calhoun Lofts and Sugar Land stores soon. Purchases can also be made through the bookstore�s website http://uh.bncollege.com.

To learn more about Barnes & Noble College visit www.bncollege.com
To learn more about Alta Gracia, visit their website www.altagraciaapparel.com
To learn more about the Fair Labor Association visit their website www.fairlabor.org