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Events and Deadlines
May 29: Conference Call on UN Guiding Principles
June 4-6: WMC Training (Shanghai).
June 18-22: EICC-GeSI Labor & Ethics Training Course (Seoul).
July 17-19: Summer Meeting (Boston).
August 13-15: WMC Training (Guangzhou)
September 3-5: WMC Training (Singapore)
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Submit Information
Submit articles to Brad Cameron
by 5 PM EST on Fridays.
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Subscriptions
Contact Ben Bruno to add names to the distribution list.
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Board Report
The EICC Board of Directors took the following action today:
- New Member: Approved a membership application from AcBel.
- Governance Proposal: Approved a new governance structure for EICC. The changes will be shared with EICC members via webinars.
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UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Feedback Deadline is Today!
European Commission (EC) deployment of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights includes a section on Corporate Responsibility to Respect Human Rights. The EC developed Sector Advisory Groups (SAGs) to develop guidance for industry sectors. Jan-Willem Scheijgrond (Philips) is a member of the SAG for the ICT sector.
Draft guidance documents will be published this week on the project website. All interested stakeholders will have an opportunity to submit online feedback on the guidance material. Jan-Willem will also have an opportunity to provide feedback during a SAG meeting on May 31.
EICC will coordinate member feedback for Jan-Willem in advance of the SAG meeting. Interested EICC members can participate in a conference call on Tuesday, May 29 at 9 AM EST. Contact Wendy Dittmer to join the call. A draft guidance will be provided before the call.
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Register Now for EICC Summer Meeting
July 17-19
The EICC Summer Meeting will be held July 17-19 at Gillette Stadium near Boston, MA. An agenda for the meeting will be available in the next Bulletin. The meeting agenda includes:
- July 16: Board Meeting
- July 17: Business Meeting
- July 18: Work Group Workshops for All Members
- July 19: Stakeholder Engagement
New Opportunities
The July 17 business meeting will be used to update members on organizational changes, tools and program improvements, and other association developments. The July 18 workshops will provide a new opportunity for all EICC members to participate in in-depth discussions with work groups about their key initiatives. The July 19 event will provide an opportunity for EICC members to focus on workforce issues and issues relating to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Registration
Register for the meeting here. Attendees are encouraged to register now for a room at the Renaissance Boston Hotel & Spa at Patriot Place. All other hotels are located 7-10 miles away from the meeting venue. Early hotel registration is available here.
Help Sponsor an Event
The meeting will be hosted by EMC, which is helping to cover some of the costs. Other members are encouraged to help offset remaining costs for what we anticipate will be the largest and most successful membership meeting to date. Contact Grant Feichtinger for more information about sponsorship opportunities.
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Health & Safety Training: Feedback from Participants
The L&CB Work Group launched the EICC health and safety training course on May 3. The training materials were developed in partnership with UL Responsible Sourcing. Dell, Inc. hosted the training at its Malaysia facility, which was attended by 30 participants (thank you Dell!).
The course helps facility managers overcome challenges to implementing effective health and safety programs, and build a culture in factories that promotes health and safety. The course applies a train-the-trainer model to help facility managers transfer knowledge to employees. The materials are available in Chinese and Spanish for EICC and GeSI members. A list of companies that attended the pilot and feedback from participants is available here.
EICC members and their suppliers are encouraged to use the training materials and sessions to build their health and safety capabilities.
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Audit Process and EICC-ON Enhancements
The VAP 4.0 Protocols will be used for all new audits scheduled outside of EICC-ON, and testing will begin this week on the VAP process in EICC-ON. VAP audits with Audit Program Manager (APM) managed corrective action plans will be available for scheduling and management in EICC-ON beginning in late June. Management of audits without corrective action plans in EICC-ON is expected in mid-September.
Please note that the link to EICC-ON, which was not working over the weekend, is now operational.
Contact APM/VECTRA for specific VAP questions and Grant Feichtinger with other questions.
APM Managed Corrective Action Plans
APM management of Corrective Action Plans (CAP) following an initial validated audit is now available. CAP management by the APM provides auditees and customers with a rigorous and consistent corrective action and closure process. It also ensures the CAP can be shared with multiple customers, and it eliminates the need for suppliers to engage with multiple customers to close audit findings. APM managed CAPs standardize the CAP process and code interpretation, which creates a more straightforward closure process for suppliers. APM management also creates a formalized process for auditee feedback to the CAP, and a process for monthly implementation and closure updates to all customers identified to receive VAP results.
APM management of a CAP consists of up to 3 reviews over 12 months, and provides gap analysis and an assessment of the status and strength of implementation. There is a flat fee of $800.
Contact APM/VECTRA for more information.
VAP Escalation Process
A process has been created in the Validated Audit Process for auditees to file a complaint at any phase of an audit. Auditees and audit buyers can follow these steps to get resolution for any complaints:
- Step 1: Address any complaint or inquiry to the Audit Program Manager (APM).
- Step 2: Contact Patrick Neyts by email or mobile (+32-495-23-9088) in the event of unsatisfactory response from the APM or lack of timely resolution.
- Step 3: Contact audits@eicc.info in the event of further unsatisfactory response or lack of timely resolution.
EICC members should redirect supplier complaints to the APM.
Update EICC-ON Web Pages
Additional EICC-ON resources are now available on the EICC website. The pages are written for EICC members and non-member suppliers, and contain general information about the system, FAQs, and user guides to register and complete SAQs. The pages will be updated regularly. The next update will include a user guide for scheduling VAP audits in the system.
VAP Tip of the Week
All VAP audit scheduling follows a standard process that takes no longer than 90 to 100 days from the initial audit request until the actual start of the audit. Customers should not agree on audit dates with their suppliers before initiating the validated audit process. The APM may not be able to accommodate these dates during the scheduling process.
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Submit a Case Study on CSR: Date Extended
The L&CB Work Group requests examples of successful projects that demonstrate a business case for corporate social responsibility. The work group wants cases from any interested company, including in other industries, in the areas of environmental performance, labor standards, health and safety, and local community engagement. In particular, the examples should demonstrate quantitative benefits such as:
- Reduced operational costs.
- Increased sales or access to new markets.
- Reduced employee turnover or absenteeism.
- Product efficiencies related to eco-design innovation
Click here for more information. Submissions are due May 30.
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Worker-Management Communication Training Sessions
EICC and GeSI will sponsor three Worker-Management Communication Training sessions in 2012. The "train the trainer" course will help member companies and their suppliers implement effective worker-management communication systems. It also will raise worker awareness of their rights and responsibilities.
Sessions and Registration
- June 4-6: Hosted by Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik (ATMS) in Shanghai (Mandarin).
- August 13-15: Hosted by Jabil in Guangzhou (Mandarin).
- September 3-5: Hosted by EMC in Singapore (English).
Register for any of the sessions here. See an event summary here. Contact Jannie Bailey for more information. Contact INFACT Global Partners if your company is interested in using the training internally or with your suppliers.
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EICC-GeSI Audit Courses Available
EICC-GeSI Labor & Ethics Lead Auditor courses are open for registration. Visit the Verite website for course descriptions and fee information. Fees include an online pre-study component and a five-day workshop. Payment can be made directly through the website. Available courses include:
- Bangalore: June 11-15
- Seoul: June 18-22
- Bangkok: Aug. 13-17
- Shenzhen: Sept. 10-14 (Mandarin)
- US: Sep. 24-28
- Mexico: Oct. 15-19 (Spanish)
- Brazil: Nov. 5-9
- Shenzhen: Dec. 10-14 (Mandarin)
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Need Help?
Contact AMS staff at 202-962-0167
Programs: Brad Cameron
Operations: John Flatley
Member Services: Carrie Hoffman
Work Group Coordinator: Grant Feichtinger
Membership Assistant: Ben Bruno
Membership Compliance: Anne Vogel-Marr
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Include articles on topics of interest to your readers, relevant news and events. If you find an interesting article on the Web, you can easily ask the author's permission to summarize the article and link to it from your newsletter. Inserting a link in your article lets you track which topics attract the most interest.
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