Ward statement on possible resolution of adidas Indonesia issue

Interim Chancellor David Ward issued the following statement on Tuesday, April 23 in response to reports from the Workers’ Rights Consortium of a possible settlement between adidas and a union representing Indonesian workers.

“We’ve heard today from the WRC that a pending resolution in this matter has been reached and it is agreeable to both adidas and the Indonesian workers.

The university has spent a great deal of time and effort working on this issue and we’re hopeful that a positive conclusion is near.

It has been a long road and not everyone has agreed at every step of the way. But what matters the most was the deliberative process and engagement with our licensee, community members and shared governance.

We’re thankful for the patience and resolve of our community, and the common efforts of students, faculty and staff participating in our Labor Codes Licensing Compliance Committee (LCLCC).

We’ll continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available.”

Adidas has a license to place UW–Madison logos on apparel and is an exclusive shoe and apparel sponsor of the university’s athletic teams.

At issue have been the actions by a subcontractor of adidas, which produced goods at the former PT Kizone factory in Indonesia. The factory’s owner closed it without paying millions of dollars in wages and benefits to Indonesian workers.