Sweatshop talks go on

Further meetings set

Non-confrontational dialogue continued yesterday as student activists and University administrators continued to address the issue of sweatshop labor in the collegiate apparel industry.

Members of Students Organizing for Labor and Economic Equality said they were told by other campus anti-sweatshop organizers that college administrators nationwide are looking to the University for leadership on this issue, adding that what happens in Ann Arbor will set the tone for rest of the nation.

After some discussion, the five members of SOLE present at the meeting with University general counsel Marvin Krislov and Senior Associate Athletic Director Keith Molin decided to set their next meeting for March 9.

"We want to find the candle to light the way out of the darkness," Molin said, adding that SOLE and the University are seeing eye-to-eye on the problem - and they only need to find the appropriate way to a solution.

SOLE, along with its affiliate organizations nationwide, are upset with the draft of a proposed anti-sweatshop code by the Collegiate Licensing Company, which handles manufacturing contracts for the University and 160 other colleges around the nation.

Campus activists said they want the nation's universities to stand for a stronger code that includes calls for public disclosure of factory location and ownerships and a wage that takes local living factors into consideration.

Students at Duke and Georgetown universities and the University of Wisconsin at Madison have forced their administrators to take action for a stronger code.

SOLE members met with University President Lee Bollinger Friday, delivering a letter of ultimatum that called for the University to stand for public disclosure and better wages.

Molin said the University has been one of the leaders calling for independent monitoring of factories.

"For independent monitoring to occur, you need to know where the factories are," Molin said.

University administrators said they want to continue to address the issue in a non-confrontational way, hoping to come to a resolution by the target date of March 12.

"We are all committed to the same kind of objectives," Molin said, adding the working relationship between the University and SOLE members has been "a partnership in advocacy."

But LSA senior Saladin Ahmed said "there are some distinct concerns."

SOLE members said that while they are pleased with the positive dialogue so far, they are prepared to do anything to reach their goals.

"We want to work in a non-confrontational manner but we find it much more important to help starving workers rather than having the easiest way to work with administrators," LSA junior Andy Cornell said.

02-24-99