From: Roger Clarke (synergrc@hotmail.com)
Date: Fri May 10 2002 - 02:15:15 EDT
Dear Ms. Muchala and Ms. Gallup, and USAS,
After almost two years of organizing, the United Students
Against Sweatshops chapter at the University of Virginia,
or USAS-UVa, finally was able (earlier this spring semester
of 2002) to reach an agreement with the UVa administration
in which UVa will join the Collegiate Licensing Corporation,
or CLC.
Mr. Ross Kane, President of USAS-UVa, and a graduating
senior, has indicated that this affiliation with the CLC is an
historic and strong first step for the University, but that the
USAS-UVa movement will in the coming months continuously
press for UVa's additional affiliation with the WRC and the FLA.
The news article, below, which appeared in the University
of Virginia's student daily newspaper, The Cavalier Daily,
on Feb. 5, 2002, gives a cursory gloss of the current state
of affairs at UVa.
UVa, always a conservative school in a conservative state,
has not made much of this affiliation with the CLC. Indeed,
due to the extreme career-focus of most students, the
organizing of USAS-UVa and eventually resultant agreement
all passed without much stir at all. Given this atmosphere,
both USAS-UVa and UVa administrators were left to conduct
negotiations out of the public eye, and without broad
participation or education on international labor issues.
Press coverage has been sincere and forthright, but
occasional. Relations throughout between students
and administration have been cordial and non-confrontational,
a cordiality that both sides have enjoyed, and that both see
continuing.
USAS-UVa will transition to new leadership with Mr. Kane's
imminent departure for public service in Africa, and looks
forward to honoring the remarkable achievement of his
groundbreaking work by going on to reach further affiliations
and stronger agreements with the UVa administration.
Congratulations and good luck to all in this successful year!
Sincerely,
Roger Clarke
tel: 434-823-4889
synergrc@hotmail.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Cavalier Daily, Feb. 5, 2002
http://cavalierdaily.com/CVarticle.asp?ID=10933&Date=2/5/2002&Keyword=sweatshop
University adopts new apparel standards
By Ben Sellers
Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
The University has adopted a new policy that will set more rigid standards of conduct for the manufacturers of University licensed apparel.
Leonard W. Sandridge, University vice president and chief operating officer, adhered to recommendations from the No-Sweat Committee in deciding to require a new standard of conduct among manufacturers.
The No-Sweat Committee is a panel of University administrators and student members of the University chapter of United Students Against Sweatshops. USAS is involved in researching poor working conditions in clothing factories.
"What the University has done is accepted the standards of the Collegiate Licensing Company," a company that already handled the manufacturing of University of Virginia apparel, said Louise Dudley, University spokeswoman and committee member.
"By signing a code, the University is saying that not only do ethics matter in our business relations, but that we have a duty to uphold these ethics and to ensure that our financial ties are not causing harm in the outside world," said fourth-year College student Ross Kane, USAS president and committee member.
The CLC code of conduct will "require all 400 independent licensees operating in the United States and abroad to sign a contract guaranteeing their workers safe working conditions, freedom from abuse and the right to organize," Kane said.
The CLC also requires its manufacturers to disclose all locations where University clothing is produced, to ensure that its standards are upheld.
"One of the more difficult things about the apparel industry is that it's easy to hide abuses," Kane said.
The University has taken several steps to discourage poor working conditions.
The Board of Visitors last October decided to sell its stock in Unocal, a corporation accused of sanctioning human rights abuses in Burma.
A recent Nike contract, which granted the company rights to manufacture some University athletic uniforms, included a clause strictly regulating Nike's factory conditions.
The language in the CLC code of conduct was very similar to that of the Nike contract, Dudley said.
The anti-sweatshop movement, which predominantly is student-led, has met with a great deal of success, said Jonathan A. Kates, University Bookstore director and committee member.
Because of student interest in the last few years "there has been a direct and positive impact on these factories," Kates said.
The committee and the USAS continue to look toward advancing their agenda in the future.
"The next step is to find a way to monitor these factories to make sure they're in compliance with the code," Kane said.
-- END ARTICLE --
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Mon Oct 28 2002 - 02:52:33 EST