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SAS hesitant to join labor watchdog group

Students Against Sweatshops members last night debated - but did not vote on - a controversial plan to join a national labor monitoring organization that conflicts with the UA's membership in the Fair Labor Association.

After more than a half-hour discussion in the University of Arizona's Social Sciences building, the labor rights advocacy group postponed a vote on joining the Workers Rights Consortium until a future meeting.

Before the session began, an Arizona Daily Wildcat reporter and photographer were told to leave so that SAS members could vote on a new policy which would prohibit journalists from attending parts of future meetings.

After a 25-minute debate which resulted in the reporters being allowed back into the room, discussion continued about joining the Workers Rights Consortium. Wildcat staffers were then instructed to leave for the remainder of the meeting.

"When the press is there, several people indicated it would prohibit exploratory discussions," Tim Bartley, sociology graduate student, said. "The problem with having the meeting open to the press is people are less likely to throw out whatever creative or strange ideas they have."

Bartley said he was not concerned that banning the press from future meetings would prevent University of Arizona students from hearing about business discussed during the meeting.

Media representation would hinder a "free and open discussion" at SAS meetings, which is necessary to properly discuss future strategy, he said.

Bartley also said he would like the Wildcat to continue reporting on the group's demonstrations and the activities of individual SAS members.

During the discussion about whether the SAS should adopt the principles set forth by the consortium, members raised several concerns about the coalition's ability to enforce its mandates.

The main difference between the WRC and the Fair Labor Association is university representation. Universities have little power on the FLA's board, while the WRC would give a large amount of power to the schools.

"Having universities on the board, without extreme student pressure, is no better than corporations on the board," said SAS member Avery Kolers.

SAS members questioned whether universities would be overly influenced by their corporate sponsorships. Enforcement under the WRC would be left to the universities.

One goal of the WRC is to give foreign factory workers the right to organize and form labor unions.

"The WRC wants to collaborate with workers," said Corey Mattson, SAS member and a history senior. "It's something that would have to occur over time."

Placing universities in charge of the new monitoring system is like "having the fox guard the hen house," Kolers said.

Members also expressed concerns about whether the WRC would become inactive like other past monitoring organizations.

"Do monitors just come and go away because no one backs them?" Kolers said.

One feature of the WRC would be its ability to perform unannounced spot checks at the request of factory workers.

Bartley said the WRC is the Fair Labor Association "with teeth."