Institute investigated alleged sweatshop conditions in developing countries that export goods to the United States and Europe. With Kernaghan as Director, the Institute publicly pressured brand-name companies by attempting to shame their public image. Kernaghan claims that "if he took the shirt off your back and showed you the blood of children in the fabric, people would snap alert." Kernaghan, along with Associate Director Barbara Briggs, have traveled to conferences and factories posing as corporate investors in order to research labor policies and factory conditions. For an NBC Dateline segment on the work of the National Labor Committee in 2005, Kernaghan wore a pair of eyeglasses with an embedded hidden camera to document conditions inside Bangladeshi plants that produce goods for U.S. companies. As well as focusing on name-brand companies, the Institute also criticized celebrities with clothing lines from factories with labor violations, utilizing their public image to gain media attention. The organization's tactics are criticized by retailers, apparel manufacturers, and international trade representatives for causing negative press rather than transparently negotiating with businesses. Legislation The Decent Working Conditions and Fair Competition Act was originally written by the National Labor Committee, in collaboration with the United Steelworkers of America and Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND). The act would "prohibit the import, export, and sale of goods made with sweatshop labor, and for other purposes." The bill was introduced in 2006 and re-introduced in 2007, but died in committee and did not become law. References Non-profit organizations based in Pittsburgh Fair trade organizations Human rights organizations based in the United States Workers' rights organizations based in the United States Organizations established in 1980 1980 establishments in Pennsylvania