In October of 2008, UH officially affiliated with the Workers Rights Consortium.
They adopted a code of conduct, which, in part, protects the associational rights of workers who produce UH logo apparel. The WRC’s Model Code of Conduct at www.workersrights.org clarifies these terms.
A test case for how seriously the university would take its new commitment occurred in October when Russell Corporation, a supplier of UH logo apparel, announced it would be closing its Jerzees de Honduras plant in Choloma, Honduras, leaving 1,800 workers without a job. To quote a plant supervisor at Jerzees de Honduras, this is because ‘the company is not going to work with a union.”
According to the Workers Rights Consortium, around March 2008, a supervisor stated during a lunch period in the factory cafeteria in the presence of many workers the ‘factory is going to close because of the union. ‘hellip; The workers will starve because they got involved with a union.’
Russell is claiming the decision to close the factory is unrelated to the workers successfully organizing an independent union. However, Russell does have a history of undermining associational rights, such as the unlawful termination of 145 Honduran workers in 2007.
The decision to close the Jerzees factory came, according to the WRC, ‘only days after the company reached an impasse with its workers’ union in bargaining for a first ever-collective agreement at the plant.’
This is where it becomes important UH uses its leverage to support these Honduran workers and also highlights why it is absolutely crucial UH President Renu Khator adopt the Designated Supplier Program.
Whenever Honduran workers make progress in attaining their rights, factories are shut down and moved to a location where goods can be produced using cheaper labor.
The DSP rewards factories that have a track record of respecting worker’s rights ‘including the right to organize and bargain collectively, and the right to be paid a living wage,’ according to www.workersrights.org.
In December, UH Students Against Sweatshops gave a letter to Khator urging her to take action on the Jerzees de Honduras case.
In response, the student group received a letter from Dona Cornell, vice president for Legal Affairs and General Counsel, thanking the group for its letter and previous correspondence, and hoping association with the WRC would be productive.
Khator has stated ‘It will take this entire community to build a great university,’ and she’s right. But that includes her and our entire administration.
By the time this article goes to print, the workers of Jerzees de Honduras will be without jobs. More initiative is expected from a university striving to become a premier international research institution.
Students wanting to explore these issues further may be interested in the screening’ of the documentary Maquilapolis at 7 p.m. tonight in Cullen Performance Hall.’ The screening will be followed by a talk from Carmen Duran, a worker featured in the film.
Frankie Perez is an English sophomore and may be reached at [email protected]
