NEWS
UW stands by Adidas
Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.
Also by Nick Penzenstadler:
- For whom the bell tolls (November 29, 2007)
- New apartments for West Wash? (November 20, 2007)
- One-and-out: Kumar will not seek 2nd term on Dane County Board (November 15, 2007)
- Displaced Carroll residents call university, bookstore helpful (November 13, 2007)
- Carroll Street fire displaces students (November 12, 2007)
Related Stories:
- Group looks to break Adidas ties (February 26, 2007)
- Wiley: Adidas issues serious (April 26, 2007)
- UW looks at Adidas contract to please athletes, activists alike (June 20, 2001)
- Adidas, UW keep relationship alive (October 29, 2007)
- Group leads Adidas protest (October 4, 2007)
by Nick Penzenstadler
Thursday, March 15, 2007
In spite of mounting pressure to sever ties with Adidas, Chancellor John Wiley announced Wednesday that the University of Wisconsin would not terminate its licensing contract with the athletic apparel company.
However, in an effort to address criticism from labor advocacy groups, Wiley said the university would meet with Adidas executives and send an envoy to El Salvador to investigate claims of worker mistreatment at one of the company's factories.
"Our emphasis is on working with the contractual partner to 'cure' the identified failures in performance," Wiley said in a statement released by UW. "Bottom line, if there has been a breach of (the code), I intend to do everything necessary to confirm it and to address the problem immediately."
At the center of the debate is the alleged mistreatment of workers at Hermosa Manufacturing, a factory in Apopa, El Salvador, contracted by Adidas to produce apparel between 2000 and 2002.
According to the UW release, when the plant closed in 2005, 260 workers were dismissed without receiving $825,000 in back pay or severance. Accusations also arose that some unionized workers were put on a "black list" for labor activism.
During its Feb. 23 meeting, UW's own Labor Licensing Policy Committee drafted a letter urging Wiley to break ties with Adidas over the reported worker mistreatment.
The official supplier of UW athletic uniforms and equipment, Adidas' agreement with UW through 2011 and is worth approximately $1.2 million per year.
According to LaMarr Billups, head of LLPC, Wiley is "gravely concerned" with the issues surrounding Adidas, and is planning to summit with the company's CEO and senior executive leadership to discuss the current situation.
Wiley also plans to send Dawn Crim, assistant director of community relations in the chancellor's office, to El Salvador next month with a delegation from the Worker Rights Consortium.
However, members of the Student Labor Action Coalition — which has led the campus push for UW to abandon its contract with Adidas — said they were upset with Wiley's decision to turndown the LLPC's call to action.
"Basically every time we students and LLPC request decisive action by the administration, they seem to drag their feet," SLAC member Nick Limbeck said. "It seems unnecessary to send the people all the way to El Salvador. In the past, the university has cut ties with companies, so we see no reason why they don't do the same with Adidas."
SLAC members rallied outside Bascom Hall yesterday to voice their displeasure with Wiley's decision and made their way inside, where they hung several pairs of shoes on Wiley's door handle.
The protest comes on the heels of the papier-mÃ
Anonymous (March 15, 2007 @ 6:39am):
Hell yeah. I love the Adidas products. I was so glad when UW dropped Reebok.
Anonymous (March 15, 2007 @ 7:33am):
When you're indoors, men, take off your hats! Otherwise, we have to assume you're shy about your baldness or lice.
Anonymous (March 15, 2007 @ 10:10am):
If we completley and utterly chose every personal apparel based upon labor issues we'd either be naked or would have to go Laura Ingles Wilder and sew our own clothing.
This is not to say I disagree with their stance. More power to them to exercise these rights. I wear leather shoes made in low-wage Asia, while I protest labor issues happening in another continent. I embrace the hypocritical me
Anonymous (March 15, 2007 @ 1:17pm):
I hope those aren't Adidas shoes on the door, that would be supporting fascism.
- Germain E. Stemme
Anonymous (March 15, 2007 @ 2:45pm):
This is too funny. It's almost as if you become a student and immediately have to attack athletic wear companies for their supposed poor labor practices.
Are we still protesting anyone having soemthing to do with Burma?
LOL!!! Go back to smokin' some bud, bud!
Anonymous (March 15, 2007 @ 4:22pm):
"The protest comes on the heels of the ... shoe". Pun intended? Probably not. But if so? Clever work, Nick
Anonymous (March 16, 2007 @ 12:33am):
"Hell yeah. I love the Adidas products. I was so glad when UW dropped Reebok."
You do realize that they are the same company now?
Add a comment
We welcome your thoughts, but please keep your feedback thoughtful, on-topic and respectful. Offensive language, personal attacks, or irrelevant comments may be deleted.
Login...
Not registered? Sign up now.
It's quick, free, and the email address you provide will not be sold or solicited.
