By
The Wildcat Opinions Board
Though President Likins should follow the advice of the UA Human and Labor Rights Task Force and pull the UA out of the Fair Labor Association, it is fair for him to meet with the human rights group before he officially decides whether or not the UA should leave the FLA.
This June, President Likins finally agreed to one of the Students Against Sweatshops' demands, which is that the University of Arizona join the Workers Rights Consortium. He has yet to make a decision on whether or not to pull the UA out of the FLA, even though the UA Human and Labor Rights Task Force has already recommended that he do so. In true Likins fashion, he is taking his time.
"The task force has apparently made its choice in favor of the WRC, but I have been invited by the chairman to meet with the task force for a deeper exploration of related issues," he said. "I have accepted that invitation, and will defer membership decisions until after that meeting until I have had an opportunity to consider the ramifications of those decisions."
SAS's frustrations with Likins are warranted, considering how long the process has dragged. However, joining the WRC was probably the group's most critical victory. Leaving the FLA will be a tidy closure to the controversy. But waiting for his meeting with the UA Human and Labor Rights Task Force, which is expected to happen in the next two weeks, will not make a huge difference in the monitoring of factories.
It will, however, allow Likins to hear the reasoning of the UA labor rights group and solidify his own position on the issue.
Joining the WRC and leaving the FLA is partially a political statement. By being a member of only the WRC, the UA would be stating that it supports an independent monitoring group of factories instead of one which is not completely free from the hand of corporations (the FLA). Currently, the UA belongs to both monitoring groups, which muddles the university's position on the issue. Considering how critical labor rights are, it is the university's duty to take a position on the issue. It is the university's duty to support labor rights, and thus, belong only to the WRC.
Therefore, it is Likins' duty to quickly meet with the UA Human and Labor Rights Task Force, confirm his decision and officially pull out of the FLA.
Considering the UA Human and Labor Rights Task Force - half of which were nominate by Likins - believes that pulling out of the FLA is the best course of action, it is unlikely that Likins will not agree to leave the FLA.
As long as he sticks to his promise to meet with the UA labor group in the next two weeks and immediately makes a decision afterwards, Likins is being fair. However, if he stretches out the process, as he has for the past year and a half, SAS and the rest of the UA community have a right to be upset.
