University presses for disclosure

UW–Madison is warning a handful of licensed manufacturers that they must disclose the locations of their factories soon or their contracts with the university will be terminated.

Background UW-Madison and sweatshops

The university implemented its public disclosure requirement Jan. 1. So far, more than 90 percent of the 445 companies licensed to produce UW–Madison apparel and other merchandise have identified where their goods are manufactured.

The remaining 39 licensees will be sent letters this week stating that they have 15 days to comply from the date the letter is mailed, says Cindy Van Matre, director of the UW–Madison Office of Trademark Licensing.

The disclosure information to date indicates that about 70 percent of factory locations are in the United States. The remaining 30 percent are spread out among 37 countries. China has the largest number of factory locations, with 56 companies manufacturing UW–Madison-licensed goods within Chinese borders.

University officials say disclosure is an important first step in the process to monitor factory locations for possible sweatshop abuses. UW–Madison is currently monitoring factories in Costa Rica, Korea and Mexico as part of a pilot project with four other universities, and is exploring other avenues for regular monitoring as well.