IU looks into garment plant

An investigation into fair labor practices at companies that manufacture University apparel might challenge IU's commitment to fair labor practices.\nJan. 18, four workers from a garment plant in Altexco, Mexico, filed a complaint with the Workers Rights Consortium claiming that the Kukdong Co. physically and verbally abused employees. The complaint also alleges the company violated child labor laws and unlawfully terminated workers who participated in a Jan. 9 strike. \nKukdong, the plant from which the complaint originated, manufactured Nike apparel for universities, including IU, according to Consortium reports.\nThe Consortium is an independent watchdog organization that investigates labor violations of manufacturers that produce logo apparel for universities. \nAfter the Consortium's preliminary report was filed, it urged universities to immediately file complaints with Nike about the labor violations in Altexco. \nDusty Kidd, Nike's global director for labor practices, said Nike will release a statement after research on the case is complete. \nJunior Nancy Steffan, member of the umbrella organization United Students Against Sweatshops, said the IU chapter of No Sweat! was instrumental in encouraging IU to join the other 67 college and university members of the Consortium. \nLast year, IU joined the Consortium after No Sweat! protests became prevalent on Big Ten campuses across the country. As part of its membership, IU required full public disclosure of the locations of factories that produce IU apparel.\nSteffan was on a committee that met with IU officials Jan. 26 to discuss how the University should react to the Consortium report.\nAssociate Dean of Students Damon Sims said the committee, chaired by Dean of Students Richard McKaig, requests that Nike comply with Consortium recommendations.\n"It calls upon the parties responsible to avoid intimidation, harassment or discrimination of these workers," Sims said.\nSims said the committee recognized Nike's efforts to collaborate with the Consortium, the Fair Labor Association and the International Labor Rights Fund to find solutions to the problem. \nConsortium members said they expect the University to write a letter to Nike encouraging the company to comply with Consortium labor standards.\nExplicit action might be pending. Steffan said many other schools have not yet acted on the Consortium's report. \nThe Consortium's executive director, Scott Nova, said independent monitors need to be present in the Mexican plant to assure workers are allowed to return. Nova said Nike has to be responsible for placing these monitors, because only it can force Kukdong's management to allow the monitors inside the plant. \nAs of Jan. 30, Nova said there are signs of progress in getting observers to the site. He said there were "signs the company was feeling pressure," although not all of the workers have returned to their jobs.\nA Consortium timeline indicates Nike did not delay action when it withdrew a $30 million dollar donation to the University of Oregon. According to a Consortium publication, Nike chairman and chief executive officer Philip Knight said "he withdrew donations because the University of Oregon joined the Workers Rights Consortium."\nIn the Consortium's University Licensing Codes of Conduct, the second key principle states that, "it is the university's role to define expected standards of treatment of workers and to hold licenses accountable. The test of the system is what happens to real workers in real factories."\nIU's responsibility in this case is not defined after the letter-writing stage. Nova would not comment about the next step the University should take if Nike does not respond to requests. Nova said he could not respond to a hypothetical situation, as there is no precedent. This is the Consortium's first investigation since its founding Oct. 19, 1999.\nIn the meantime, Sims said, "the Kukdong situation is an early test of the WRC's ability to effectively accomplish its aims. The advisory committee is pleased by the early indication of progress by the WRC and looks forward to its continued improvement"