Group attacks unfair labor

About 30 students from No Sweat!, a student group against sweatshop labor, gathered at the Sample Gates last Thursday to rally for a new University clothing policy that will stem the amount of IU merchandise made in sweat shops.\nThe group wrote and signed a letter detailing the plan, with the intention of delivering to IU President Adam Herbert in person. The group marched to his office, only to find Herbert was absent, but his secretary was happy to take a message.\n"It's hard to tell if he will get back to us," said student Philip Shelton of No Sweat! and IU's Anti-Sweatshop Advisory Committee, who set an Oct. 14 deadline for Herbert to respond the plan. "I'm not optimistic about a response, because last time we did something like this, he took seven or eight months to respond to us."\nBecause of the wide scope and prevalence of sweatshops in apparel manufacturing, incrementalism has been the nature of the campaign, as progress has happened slowly. But No Sweat! and IU's Anti-Sweatshop Advisory Committee, comprised of concerned faculty and students, are pushing for IU to begin making larger strides in its battle against sweatshop labor. \n"The University has made several steps, but has not done enough," said Shelton, a member of both organizations and a conference presenter. \nShelton is spearheading the new proposal, which is a part of a national kickoff by the organization that asks IU and other universities to force manufacturers to produce merchandise in special factories that guarantee laborers living wages, unions and good working conditions. \nIn order to discuss strategies for fairer trade and No Sweat!'s new proposal, IU played host to its first "The University and Fair Trade" conference, sponsored by No Sweat! and IU's Anti-Sweatshop Advisory Committee Sept. 29 and 30. \nDuring the conference, experts from IU and several other universities spoke about harsh conditions in garment factories, the definition of fair trade and IU's current and future roles in fair trade. Strategies were discussed on how to help IU and other universities in their efforts to prevent them from patronizing sweatshops.\n"We needed to educate ourselves about fair trade rather than going the traditional routes," said student Ursula McTaggart of No Sweat! and a panelist at the conference.\nIU's current licensing code of conduct requires all licensees of merchandise to ensure certain basic rights of workers who create IU-licensed products.\nStill, monitoring IU merchandise has proved to be difficult. The University doesn't have the best record when it comes to sweatshop labor said Shelton. When asked if IU is involved in sweatshops, Shelton said, "The short answer is yes."\nThere are more than 3,000 factories which make clothing for American consumers. University clothing only makes up less than 5 percent of the clothing made in these factories, with IU merchandise significantly lower, said Dean of Students Richard McKaig. This has prompted the national plan by No Sweat! \nMcKaig also said Herbert would look at the plan and then decide how to implement it. \n"It has to be a multi-university plan for it to work," said McKaig, who is also apart of the University's Anti-Sweatshop advising committee. \nIU law professor and conference panelist Christiana Ochoa echoed this sentiment in a release. \n"The tremendous purchasing power of universities opens an opportunity for universities and university communities to promote corporate social accountability and tangible social change in the areas of human rights, labor rights and environmental protection," Ochoa said. \nMcKaig suggests that IU hasn't had a direct problem with sweatshops and said the University has made substantial changes to stem the problem. \n"Have we solved all the problems (about sweatshops) around the world? No we haven't," McKaig said. "This is the type of situation that needs constant monitoring, but the University has made several responsible steps ... more can always be done though"