Sweatshop opposition intensifies

Chancellor David Ward talks to student activists in Bascom Hall. The chancellor called on student leaders to rejoin university efforts against sweatshop labor. Fifty-four protesters were later arrested when they refused to leave the chancellor’s office. Photo: Jeff Miller See also: Universities join anti-sweatshop effort UW leads national anti-sweatshop effort Ward issues statement regarding recent events UW-Madison and Sweatshops: Background on UW–Madison anti-sweatshop efforts

The university wants to eradicate sweatshop labor, but the campus community is discovering how complicated and divisive that mission can be.

As the university weighs how to monitor the companies that produce its licensed apparel and other goods, debate over the issue recently led to a student sit-in to protest the university’s position. That protest, lasting for four days in February, resulted in the arrest of 54 students who refused to vacate Bascom Hall when ordered to do so.

UW–Madison became a leader in the anti-sweatshop movement last year. Joining with other college leaders, UW officials helped draft a code of conduct for manufacturers who contract with the Collegiate Licensing Company, a clearinghouse for most of UW–Madison’s 500 licensing agreements. Madison is one of six universities requiring adherence to other terms.

But the university is still grappling with the challenge of monitoring manufacturers and enforcing those regulations. Student, faculty and staff governance representatives met last Wednesday to discuss next steps.

Chancellor David Ward cautions that complex issues cannot be solved overnight. He urges students, faculty, and staff to work together in the process, adding that “it is only through hearing all voices, whether they agree or disagree, that the broadest knowledge can be obtained and the wisest decisions made.”