UA students to rally next week for fair labor practices
Student activists will rally outside the UA Administration Building Tuesday in an effort to strengthen a labor code that regulates the university's apparel manufacturers.
Whether or not the rally is friendly or volatile toward the University of Arizona depends on President Peter Likins' actions, said Arne Ekstrom, head of the UA's Students Against Sweatshops chapter.
"President Likins has not yet taken this essential step in condemning the violation of basic rights," the rally announcement stated. "We have asked President Likins to state his position on this issue by Friday, Feb. 26."
Likins was unavailable for comment yesterday.
SAS wants Likins to add a clause to the current Collegiate Licensing Company code calling for full disclosure of addresses for factories that produce UA-endorsed apparel. Students from several other American universities, including Duke and Stanford, have made the same request.
If Likins agrees to the proposal, the rally will be in celebration of the UA president's actions. Otherwise, the group will protest what they consider an ineffective labor code, Ekstrom said.
Ekstrom expects more than 100 people to attend, including members of the group Scholars, Artists, and Writers for Social Justice, but would not comment on the specifics of the rally, which will begin at noon.
Students at University of Wisconsin-Madison recently persuaded administrators to alter the code Feb. 13, after a 92-hour sit-in.
Ekstrom could not confirm any possibility of a sit-in, but said the group plans "to keep steady pressure" on Likins until an agreement is reached.
Likins has scheduled meetings with other university officials for early next week to discuss the problem, and will not make any official decisions until then, said Sharon Kha, associate vice president of communications.
"I don't think a rally will have any effect on the administration's decision," she said, adding that the university does support students' rights to speak out.
The Collegiate Licensing Company formed a team of university representatives, including some from the UA, to draft a code that would stop the use of sweatshop labor by companies associated with collegiate athletics.
Opponents of the code argue that the policy's wording is not strict enough and should include the complete disclosure of factory locations along with an independent monitor.
Likins has said that he supports the CLC plan, and any necessary adjustments should be handled after it is accepted.
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