University to launch pilot for licensed apparel

UW–Madison will launch a pilot program requiring companies producing officially licensed apparel products to purchase 25 percent of their goods from factories that allow a union, representative body or the right of free association for workers.

The step would make the university among the first in the nation to embrace and act upon the idea of a “designated suppliers program,” proposed by the national activist group United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) to improve the working conditions of apparel workers around the world.

Beginning this fall, the 18-month UW–Madison pilot would incorporate the best elements of the USAS plan, with modifications to address university concerns about the proposal.

The USAS plan has been endorsed by the university’s Labor Licensing Policy Committee (LLPC) and the Associated Students of Madison. The pilot will apply to all 150 licensees producing UW–Madison logo apparel. Companies will be required to make a good-faith effort to source goods from one or more factories, or designated suppliers, complying with the union or free association requirement and approved by the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC) monitoring organization.

Should a licensee decline to participate, it could face a potential loss of license at the expiration of its current license term. Licensees will be responsible for ensuring that the required amount of goods is manufactured in designated factories. Compliance will be assessed by the WRC through a combination of complaint-based investigations and spot investigations.

To qualify as a designated supplier, a factory must allow the existence of a legitimate labor union, other representative employee body or the unfettered right of free association. As part of the pilot, licensees may also ask that their current factories meeting those standards be certified by the WRC.

The USAS proposal is asking colleges and universities around the country to require licensees to buy at least 25 percent of their goods from union factories after the first year of implementation. The USAS requirement would rise to 50 percent after two years and 75 percent after three years.

USAS also is asking licensees to agree to pay designated supplier factories slightly higher prices for apparel, so workers there may receive a living wage.

Instead of adopting the USAS proposal as written, the UW–Madison approach attempts to incorporate the most promising elements into the pilot, while addressing practical issues about implementation.