Search

ARCHIVES
CONTACT US
WORLD NEWS

SAS unsure if change in focus is needed

Arizona Summer Wildcat

UA joining Worker Rights Consortium could mean a

With the UA becoming the most recent member of the Worker Rights Consortium, Students Against Sweatshops members are left to decide which direction to go now.

"That's the subject of much debate," said Rachel Wilson, SAS spokeswoman and French graduate student.

The focus of the organization this past year has been working to make the UA a member of the WRC to improve working conditions for laborers who make UA-licensed apparel.

Nike's disclosure of factory locations that supply the UA, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Georgetown University and five other schools in October was the first victory for student labor rights activists at the UA and other universities affiliated with the shoe and clothing manufacturer.

Not all of what the University of Arizona's chapter of SAS wanted to accomplish has been done - most notably a full withdrawal from the Fair Labor Association.

That request has been denied by UA President Peter Likins on a number of occasions. Likins' decision whether to remain in the FLA - a creation of the U.S. Department of Labor - will come after a recommendation by the UA Human and Labor Rights Task Force.

Their recommendation will be based on whether the FLA has met the conditions laid out in the resolution signed by Likins that ended a 10-day occupation of his office by SAS members in April 1999.

The deadline for the FLA to have met the conditions of the creation of a living wage for workers, equal rights for women, full disclosure of factory locations and the implementation of independent factory monitoring is Aug. 1.

"Just joining the WRC won't solve the problem," said Tim Bartley, SAS spokesman and sociology graduate student.

With membership in the WRC established, SAS could turn its attention to another facet of the issue, but there has only been discussion.

"We haven't changed anything at this point," Bartley said. "I don't think we've completely decided (if there is a need for a change)."

At this time, Wilson said, SAS is preparing to take part in the demonstrations planned for the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles from Aug. 14-17. The protests will be a continuation of those that took place in Seattle when the World Trade Organization meeting was taking place and in Washington D.C. during the World Bank meeting.

While some activists are taking extreme measures to be prepared, such as learning how to scale a skyscraper, in the mountains around Los Angeles, Wilson said, "Nobody from SAS is training in the mountains."

Though SAS might alter its focus, Andrew Silverman, member of labor rights task force and UA law professor, said the task force is still considering whether the FLA has met the conditions laid before it.

"The work of the task force is continuing," he said.