Departments
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Week of 26 February 1999 |
Vol. II, No. 25 |
Feature Article
BU signs anti-sweatshop code for college apparel makers
By Brian Fitzgerald
On February 12, Executive Vice President Joseph Mercurio signed a code of conduct aimed at ensuring that merchandise bearing BU insignia is not made in sweatshops. As at a number of other universities, however, a group of student activists is calling for a code with additional stipulations.
Developed by the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) Task Force, the code endorsed by the University stipulates that workers must be paid either a country's minimum wage or the prevailing industry wage in the country where a factory is located -- whichever is higher. It also calls for such provisions as legally mandated benefits, reasonable working hours, a safe and healthy work environment, and strict limitations on child labor. CLC is an Atlanta-based firm that acts as licensee agents for 160 universities.
In signing the agreement on behalf of BU, Mercurio added a statement urging the CLC Task Force to "include the principle of disclosure to the public of licensee factory locatons." BU also agreed to share expenses associated with the management of the code and to appoint someone from the University to serve on the Task Force.
About 35 members of the Students Against Sweatshops Committee held a rally in the rain on Marsh Plaza, the steps of the President's office, and then in front of the Barnes & Noble bookstore on February 18 to press for adoption of their code.
"We feel that the agreement is a good start," said Roni Krouzman (CAS'99) during the demonstration on Marsh Plaza. "But it has a lot of shortcomings, and if we don't rectify them, it really won't have much weight."
Last November, Mauricio Amaya (CAS'00), a member of BU's Students Against Sweatshops Committee, sent a letter to Westling that included a proposed code of conduct that called, for example, for a "living wage," six months of maternity leave and three months of paternity leave with full pay and benefits, and child care for children, up to age 11, of employees. Westling wrote back to the students, thanking them for their input and saying that he would forward their draft to administrators who were reviewing the draft of the CLC code.
Westling was away on business on February 18, and Provost Dennis Berkey met the demonstrators as they arrived at the steps to the Office of the President at 145 Bay State Road. In a brief exchange with Krouzman and Rachel Salmon (CAS'99) before local television cameras, Berkey listened to the students' concerns and suggested that the discussion continue on February 24, when a meeting with them had already been scheduled.
"It is clear that we all agree that university insignia items should be produced under healthy, safe, and fair working conditions," said Berkey. "I have stressed that we have the greatest chance of making an impact if BU can present a united front in collaboration with other universities."
The CLC plans to review the responses of the universities to the initial draft of its code to determine what specific changes should be made.