The Student Government Association passed legislation Wednesday to promote University affiliation with the Worker Rights Consortium, a nonprofit organization that investigates factory working-conditions around the world.
"I think there’s something wrong with clothes being sourced from sweatshops," At-Large Graduate Sen. Timothy O’Brien said.
The WRC mission is to keep the organization’s associated colleges and universities aware of the conditions in the factories that produce anything with their names or logos and to raise awareness about the working conditions in sweatshops around the world, the WRC Web site said.
Its Web site also states that 177 colleges and universities nationwide support the organization. Each college or university that wishes to join WRC, must pay a fee, it said.
O’Brien said that in order for UH to join, the University would have to pay $1,000.
"The fee is locked into licensing," he said, "We sold $70,000 last year."
Whenever a complaint arises against a sweatshop, O’Brien said, the WRC sends a representative to the shop and investigates. All the colleges and universities thereafter decide whether to continue affiliating with the shop, he said.
"Usually what happens is that they’ll tell the manufacturer that if they don’t straighten up, then we’re going to cut business with you," O’Brien said.
The legislation SGA unanimously passed calls for UH to also be affiliated with the Designated Suppliers Program, a procurement process from the WRC and United Students Against Sweatshops. The DSP aims to protect the rights of factory workers, according to its Web site.
In order to be a DSP supplier, factories must meet certain criteria, including demonstration of full compliance with international labor standards, employee representation by a legitimate labor union or employee body and a paid living wage to employees.
So far, 37 universities have signed on, according to the DSP Web site.
"DSP is not actually in practice yet," O’Brien said. "They need a few more members to sign on, and that’s to make it where certain factories that are designated ‘sweat free’ have safe work conditions and then the companies manufacture them there."
O’Brien said that despite the $1,000 fee UH would have to pay to be a part of WRC and DSP, the prices for UH apparel would not increase.
SGA also passed legislation to form a UH Student Bill of Rights.
The Bill of Rights is divided into eight articles and clarifies students’ rights in academic discrimination, class practices and procedures, textbook practices and procedures, administrative practices and procedures, academic accountability and appeals, student expectations, student academic bill of rights amendments and distribution of the bill of rights.
"The bill pretty much speaks for itself, and I think it’s very important that we have this kind of thing written down in paper," At-Large Undergraduate Sen. Aly Capetillo said.
Business Sen. Islara Rodriguez and College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Sen. Jason Cisneroz did not attend the meeting.
