WASHINGTON, D.C.-- Two months after the Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh that claimed more than 1,100 factory workers' lives, Mary Kay Henry, International President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), issued the following statement:

Workers shouldn't have to risk their lives to make garments, but that is the world Gap and Walmart are perpetuating by their refusal to sign the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.

"We have reached the tipping point of deaths due to factories that have turned into literal deathtraps. This moment requires the apparel industry to take responsibility for the safety of workers and the buildings in which they work by signing the Safety Accord. We applaud the 63 retailers worldwide that have joined the legally binding agreement, which will grant workers the freedom to raise concerns at work, and save lives.

"Together with our affiliate Workers United--which represents thousands of garment workers in the United States and Canada, we join a broad coalition of labor, student, and community groups on June 29 as part of the International Day of Action to End Deathtraps. Our collective voice is loud and clear calling on multinational retailers and brands to put an end to factory deathtraps by signing onto the Safety Accord. We will show up where retailers fail to act.

"With great power comes great responsibility. It is time for America's largest retailers to show where their commitment lies - in profits at the expense of lives, or in producing garments we can all wear with pride."

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