By
Shana Heiser
Arizona Daily Wildcat
UA labor rights task force not to participate in discussion
Students Against Sweatshops members will meet with UA President Peter Likins tomorrow to discuss the university's involvement in the Fair Labor Association.
The University of Arizona Task Force for Human and Labor Rights determined the commitments weren't being met by the FLA, so they turned negotiations over to Likins and Students Against Sweatshops.
"They threw up their hands and said 'you guys work this out. We've done our job and now it's time for you guys to get together and talk,'" said Rachel Wilson, SAS spokeswoman.
The meeting's intention is to work out the disagreements between SAS and Likins concerning his commitments to the labor rights organization, but Wilson said she questions how much they will accomplish at the meeting.
"We don't expect that he'll say he's pulling out of the FLA, but that is what we would hope for," Wilson said. "I have no way of predicting his response."
The task force requested that Likins and SAS talk about the commitments and other related topics, said Andrew Silverman, law professor and task force member.
"When we give Likins a written report, we also meet with him, and out of that came the suggestion that SAS meet with Likins," he added.
While the two parties will be discussing the task force recommendation that the UA pull out of the FLA, the task force will not be represented at the meeting.
"The task force may have an observer there and it may be me, but the (task force is) really just between the president and SAS," Silverman said.
Likins and UA spokeswoman Sharon Kha could not be reached for comment yesterday.
During the meeting, SAS members plan to outline why they think it's important he withdraw from the FLA immediately.
SAS members have also organized a gathering to take place outside while the meeting is taking place.
