Canadian Linen and Uniform Service Corp. Forced Labour Statement
This annual report is prepared by Canadian Linen and Uniform Service Corp. (Canadian Linen or the Company) and is filed in compliance with Canada’s Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act (the Act). It describes the approach and actions taken by Canadian Linen to address the risk of forced labour and child labour in its operations and supply chain during the year ended September 30, 2023.
About Canadian Linen
Canadian Linen is a subsidiary of Vestis Corporation (Vestis). Vestis is a leading provider of uniforms and workplace supplies across the United States and Canada to a broad range of North American customers from Fortune 500 companies to locally owned small businesses across a broad set of end markets. Canadian Linen provides uniforms, mats, towels, linens, restroom supplies, first-aid supplies and safety products to its customers in Canada. Vestis operates a network of over 350 facilities in North America including laundry plants, satellite plants, distribution centers and manufacturing plants along with a fleet of service vehicles that support over 3,400 pick-up and delivery routes. Our services and products are delivered to customers by route service representatives via delivery routes that originate from one of our laundry plants or satellite sites. Approximately 50% of our uniforms and linens are manufactured in our two manufacturing plants in Mexico. Our Mexican operations include approximately 189,000 square feet of manufacturing capacity and a 107,000 square foot distribution facility.
Our Supply Chains and Risks of Forced Labour or Child Labour
Canadian Linen imports a variety of goods into Canada including:
- Uniforms
- Towels
- First Aid
- Mats
- Mops
- Paper Products
- Soaps
- Air Care
- Cleaning Supplies
- Gloves
We recognize the risks of forced labour within global supply chains, particularly with respect to certain regions of the world and certain products. Certain regions have higher risks of forced or child labour and human rights violations, and forced labour and modern slavery, have been reported in those regions. Further, the supply chain for textiles and apparel products also present real risks of forced labour.
Canadian Linen acknowledges the above risks in its supply chains and the additional risks posed by limited visibility into its upstream suppliers.
To uphold our commitment to ethical business practices and human rights, we plan to continue to monitor and identify emerging risks of forced labour in our supply chain.
Our Policies and Due Diligence Procedures
Canadian Linen’s parent company, Vestis, maintains a Business Conduct Policy (BCP), which Canadian Linen follows. As set forth in the BCP, Canadian Linen is committed to conducting business ethically, with integrity and respect, and in accordance with high ethical standards of conduct.
Our work to support people is underpinned by our values and our commitment to human rights as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
We also hold our suppliers, vendors, contractors, and consultants to the same standard to which we hold ourselves, and they must comply with the principles in our BCP. We maintain a Corporate Social Compliance Policy and related Vendor Code of Conduct both of which require the international manufacturing of our private label garments to occur under safe, lawful, and humane working conditions and which prohibit forced and child labour.
To support our Corporate Social Compliance Policy, our international private label garment manufacturers confirm annually their commitment to comply with our Vendor Code of Conduct. Further, the factories used to produce these products are subject to annual third-party social compliance audits.
Training
Certain Canadian Linen employees are required to complete a training course on our BCP every year. Our BCP outlines the legal and ethical standards that all employees at Canadian Linen, and anyone acting on Canadian Linen’s behalf, must follow. The BCP provides the guidelines and resources to conduct business ethically and in compliance with the laws in every country in which Canadian Linen conducts business.
Assessing Effectiveness of Canadian Linen’s Actions to Prevent Forced Labour
Canadian Linen’s parent company, Vestis, partners with a third party to audit certain of its suppliers’ facilities. Additionally, the Company maintains a hotline through which anyone can report a concern, including concerns of forced or child labour. A report can be made by phone (833-407-9551), or online through this link: EthicsPoint - Vestis.
Those who fail to comply with the BCP, fail to disclose suspected violations, fail to cooperate with an investigation of a possible violation, or knowingly make a false report may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
Vestis’s ethics and compliance team, led by our Chief Compliance Officer, has primary responsibility for promoting, monitoring, and enforcing ethics and compliance, including for Canadian Linen. The team accomplishes this through training, policies, and processes designed to foster an ethical culture and protect against the risk of noncompliance.
Remediation
As of September 30, 2023, Canadian Linen has not faced situations of forced labour or child labour and has therefore not had to remedy such situations.
Attestation
In accordance with the requirements of the Act, and in particular section 11 thereof, I attest that I have reviewed the information contained in the report for the entity or entities listed above. Based on my knowledge, and having exercised reasonable diligence, I attest that the information in the report is true, accurate and complete in all material respects for the purposes of the Act, for the reporting year listed above.
By:
Name: Ed Friedler
Title: Vice President
Date: May 30, 2024
I have the authority to bind Canadian Linen.