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SAS, Likins to meet Wednesday

Students Against Sweatshops members will meet with University of Arizona President Peter Likins on Wednesday to discuss the meaning of the resolution that ended April's sit-in.

SAS's intention is "to talk to him one-on-one rather than battling through letters and through the media," SAS spokeswoman Rachel Wilson said.

The exchange of letters began with SAS asking for the University of Arizona's immediate withdrawal from the Fair Labor Association - the factory monitoring system created by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The SAS requested that Likins join the Workers' Rights Consortium - the alternative monitoring system composed of nine university members and created by the United Students Against Sweatshops - by Feb. 16.

On that day, Likins responded by letter, stating the SAS's requests were premature and that he would continue in his commitments to the FLA.

Over the course of the written dialogue between SAS and Likins, anti-FLA sit-ins were taking root at universities across the country.

The Universities of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin-Madison - where demonstrators were pepper sprayed and later arrested - all staged successful sit-ins.

The University of Indiana also left the FLA in favor of the WRC, though the actions were not prompted by a sit-in.

While neither the UA administration or SAS said they foresee any conflicts here escalating to the heights reached in Madison, there is still a rift between the two.

In Likins' Feb. 16 response to SAS's request, he said the SAS was moving too early.

Wednesday's meeting will focus on understanding what the resolution - signed by Likins following SAS's 10-day sit-in last April - means when it states the FLA must have met all four mandates by August 2000, or the UA will withdraw and seek an alternative monitoring system.

"SAS and Likins seem to have different readings of things," Wilson said.

SAS members said they want out of the FLA now, while Likins has stated he thinks that corporate involvement will aid the monitoring process and that the FLA deserves the remainder of the time provided by the resolution.

Regardless of whether the FLA meets the mandates, the UA's membership will be determined by the UA Human and Labor Rights Task Force.

"The task force should be in a position to identify alternative means whenever a relevant deadline arises," the resolution states.

While SAS and Likins are equally represented on the task force, Wilson said she does not feel that, in its current condition, the task force will have any effect.

"My own personal opinion is that the task force dilutes SAS's activism," Wilson said. "It's a filter of bureaucracy."

Wilson added that the task force impedes changes SAS is attempting to make rather than aiding.

"Before the task force, SAS dealt directly with Likins. Now we're funneled off," she said.

Though created by the resolution that SAS achieved after camping in Likins' office, Wilson said she is unimpressed with the task force's progress.

"They haven't really done anything," Wilson said. "The SAS wants to turn the task force into an activist body."