‘Fair trade’ UW apparel now available

For years, State Street coffee shops and cafes have offered "fair trade" coffee, tea and chocolate for purchase.

The fair trade movement, which generally promotes fair wages as well as social and environmental production standards, is growing across the country.

Just in time for the holiday shopping season, members of the campus community, parents and alumni can support this innovative ideal and the University of Wisconsin–Madison at the same time.

Counter Sourcing, Inc., a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based apparel manufacturer, has been granted an official university license and the University Bookstore recently began carrying official UW–Madison apparel manufactured by the company.

With red and grey UW T-shirts retailing at $14.95, Counter Sourcing pays a fair wage to workers in Brooklyn and Bangladesh and commits a percentage of its sales to a living wage fund, workers rights support services and environmental protection.

Although all UW–Madison licensees commit to a Code of Conduct mandating humane standards of production, the firm’s commitments go above and beyond those requirements.

The local availability of fair trade apparel is the realization of a long-held hope for Chancellor John Wiley and the university’s Labor Licensing Policy Committee to find "designated suppliers" that will produce high quality products in worker-friendly environments.

"I applaud both Counter Sourcing and University Bookstore for this important step in the right direction," says Wiley, who was given one of the shirts. "I’m extremely interested in partnering with additional ‘fair trade’ businesses in our efforts to ensure that our logo merchandise continues to be made in the best possible conditions."

The company has been working with about a half-dozen other colleges throughout the country, including Duke, Boston College and New York University, but UW–Madison is the first in the Midwest to grant the company a license.

"We really thank students and the Labor Licensing Policy Committee for making this happen," says Kevin Phelps, vice president of University Book Store. "It’s a small selection, but we have to start somewhere. And people are very excited about it."

Dawn Crim, acting special assistant to Wiley for community relations and liaison to the LLPC, says that Counter Sourcing alone may not change the apparel industry, but it is an innovative model that has potential. UW–Madison is hopeful that it can strike similar arrangements with other producers, including the local firm Fair Indigo.

Further, Crim adds that it is important for the campus community to understand the positive developments around UW–Madison and workers’ rights spearheaded by the work of the LLPC.

"I think we are all very proud of this university and we can be even prouder knowing that these Counter Sourcing fair trade products carrying our university’s name were not produced in sweatshops," agrees Lydia Zepeda, a professor of consumer science and member of the LLPC. "The UBS is giving consumers an opportunity to change the world for the better by providing them with a product that guarantees workers a fair wage. The more fair trade products consumers buy, the more will be made, and that means better jobs for more people."

Phelps says University Book Store hopes to carry the shirts at all of its locations and gradually expand to long-sleeved T-shirts and sweatshirts in the future. The bookstore is also taking lower than normal margin on the items to keep them affordable.

UW-Madison has been a leader among colleges and universities working to curb sweatshop abuses in licensed-apparel manufacturing. The university has been persistent in its leadership on the issue and developed innovative policies, modeled by other universities across the country.

The university has contracts allowing more than 450 companies to make products bearing the university’s name or logos. The products are made in approximately 3,300 factories in 47 countries worldwide.