A workshop being held in Grainger Hall today will assess existing methods of global labor standard improvement, specifically in regards to the collegiate apparel industry.
The forum, titled “Improving Labor Standards in Global Supply Chains: Codes of Conduct, Monitoring and Beyond,” will be an exchange of critical and productive points of view about an issue that has been a point of contention on many college campuses, including UW, in recent years.
One of the main goals of the workshop will be to discuss ways universities can be more proactive — rather than reactive — about problems with labor standards, Special Assistant to the Chancellor Dawn Crim said in an e-mail to The Badger Herald.
Additionally, Chancellor Biddy Martin will be attending the workshop as a participant to hear and learn more about global supply chains and labor standards.
“The Labor Licensing Policy Committee and [UW] administration are looking for more effective ways to have a positive impact on human rights in the global apparel industry,” Crim said.
A code of conduct is already in place, which governs UW licensees and aspects of production of anything that bears the UW logo, UW spokesperson John Lucas said in an e-mail to The Badger Herald. When issues arise, they are addressed by UW and its Labor Licensing Policy Committee.
“We have had the code of conduct for the past 10 years. They have been beneficial but have had limited impacts,” Crim said. “We wanted to open up a dialogue to see if new initiatives, processes, etc. are available or have a better impact.”
UW is not the only university dealing with labor standards. Students across the United States have been vocal about their opposition to immoral labor practices related to collegiate apparel.
“Most college campuses are grappling with similar issues when it comes to labor standards. We have invited many of them here to join in the discussion,” Crim said.
Although not involved in planning the workshop, the Student Labor Action Coalition has been actively involved in recent talks regarding labor standards at UW.
SLAC recently asked Martin to pressure Nike after the illegal shut down of two factories in Honduras.
“We hope and expect that she will do better than her predecessor by holding Nike accountable through all available means — including severance of Nike’s licensing contract if necessary,” Jan Van Tol of SLAC said in an e-mail to The Badger Herald.
According to Van Tol, students consistently demand universities like UW use their international clout to pressure apparel companies to end sweatshops and to respect laborers, as well as their right to unionize.
UW has been one of the most progressive universities in trying to end abuses that occur in the apparel industry, Lucas said.
Although the code of conduct and discussions such as this forum are signs of exemplary progress, Van Tol thinks there is much more that can be done with existing tools.
