By Gabe DiMaio
Buffalo, NY – The University at Buffalo is joining two organizations to demonstrate its commitment to ensure that clothes and other UB gear are manufactured under fair, decent, and humane working conditions.
The Worker Rights Consortium and the Fair Labor Association were created to improve working conditions and end sweatshop practices by monitoring factories that make collegiate apparel. Dennis Black, UB's Vice President for Student Affairs says that now the university insists that all items with its name reflect its commitment to fair labor and workers rights.
"If you want to do business with the university in regards to our logo, you need to disclose to us where it's manufactured and by whom, so that the monitoring we've adopted here today can take place," Black said.
The university decision comes with the endorsement of the group UB Students Against Sweatshops. But the work does not end with the announcement. One of it members, Dan Cross, says the Workers Rights Consortium is more than a statement of the belief in humane labor conditions.
"Investigations will be undertaken and remediation efforts will have to happen," Cross said. "Our group will take it upon itself to influence the companies as we can as students to make sure changes occur that put them back into compliance with the code of conduct."
One hundred thirty-four institutions are affiliated with WRC and 191 with FLA. In affiliating with both, UB joins 79 other colleges or universities in this effort.