ASUA to take stand on UA-Nike contract next week

Chris Richards Arizona Daily Wildcat Anthropology senior Monica Wilson presents a petition to the ASUA Senate last night, protesting the pending contract between Nike and the UA Athletic Department. She said the petition was signed by more than 450 students, administrators and faculty who felt that Nike has exploited workers in its overseas factories.

A draft of the resolution states that the Associated Students legislature is opposed to the University of Arizona's Intercollegiate Athletic Department's contract with the multibillion-dollar sports apparel company.

The UA is currently in negotiations with Nike to bring $3 million to $8 million to the Athletic Department; in exchange 18 UA athletic teams will wear Nike apparel.

UA athletic director Jim Livengood last week said the contract will be finalized within the next two months.

Thirteen students attended last night's Associated Students Senate meeting to speak out against the contract.

"We're asking that ASUA not support the contract until Nike can show it has altered its policies," said Monica Wilson, an anthropology and German studies senior.

Speakers cited exploitation of women and children in Southeast Asian factories as the main reason the UA should reconsider its involvement with the company.

Since early November the group protesting the contract has collected more than 450 student signatures in opposition to the Nike deal, Wilson said.

"Nike knows it's guilty and the administration knows it, too," Wilson said. "As a university we should be concerned with who we are represented by and who we are endorsing."

On behalf of the student protest group, Sen. Mary Peterson said she would bring the resolution up for a vote next week.

"ASUA is supposed to represent students," she said, "And the students have brought this to us."

The resolution follows a similar situation at Duke University, which reneged its pending contract with Nike after students protested the deal, said James Tracy, a media arts graduate student.

According to Tracy, Duke responded to the student outcry by including a clause in its contract that will not allow the Nike logo to be on any apparel made by exploited workers.

The student government at the University of California at Irvine also voted against renewing its contract with Nike, Tracy said.

"I don't believe we should be associated with any company that violated human rights in the U.S. or anywhere," he said.

Wilson and Tracy organized a previous protest and rally opposing the UA's contract with Nike earlier last month.

Though the protesters are against a contract at this time, they said their position could change if Nike puts a stop to its alleged human rights violations.

"We're not saying we should never enter into a contract with them," Wilson said, "But until things are rectified, I don't think the UA should be affiliated with them."

Nike spokesman Vada Manager last week assured UA students that the company's products are made "under the best possible conditions."

ASUA Executive Vice President Casey Cuny said he will invite an administrator to next week's meeting to present the university's stance as well as information about the contract.

"We definitely need to hear both sides on this," Cuny said. "There's a lot of heresy on both sides, so it will be interesting to see what the facts are."