A Message from President Philip E. Austin to the University Community - October 4, 2005

The University of Connecticut has long been concerned with the issue of sweatshop labor in factories involved in the production of goods that bear the UConn logo and, more generally, in factories and workshops throughout the world. In the summer of 2000 we were one of the first higher education institutions to join the Worker Rights Consortium, an advocacy and monitoring group consisting of universities, student groups, and non-government organizations. Every firm that produces UConn-logo goods must sign on to a Code of Conduct that promises fair labor conditions, the right to organize, safe working conditions, and other protections.

It is clear, however, that more needs to be done, especially in the area of verification and communication. Last semester I appointed a Task Force, chaired by Professor Mohammed Hussein of the Department of Accounting and including faculty, students, staff, and the leadership of the UConn Co-op, to explore various options. They presented a report in June and, following careful study, I accepted their basic recommendations. The report can be found here.

A key Task Force proposal is that the University work collaboratively with other institutions to establish workable means of monitoring our suppliers to assure compliance with the Code of Conduct. The Task Force suggests that our licensing agent, the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) play this role. If this is not possible, however, other options-including the Worker Rights Consortium or other organizations-can be explored. I am less concerned with who does the monitoring than that it be done effectively, and that the entity that does it represent a large number of institutions.

A second recommendation is that I appoint an ongoing committee, not to make recommendations-that has already been done-but to oversee actions, and that a staff member be designated as the person responsible for working with the committee and, on a day-to-day basis, coordinating the many units of the University that play a role here. I am pleased to announce that Associate Dean of Students Julie Bell-Elkins has accepted this assignment. I will announce shortly the members of the oversight body.

The third set of recommendations relates to communications and curricular enhancement. This year the Dodd Center is commemorating its tenth anniversary with a year-long program of events focused on human rights in the global economy, and we expect the issue of sweatshop labor to be prominent among topics discussed. In a more immediate sense, I have asked Provost Nicholls and his office to explore curricular, research, and outreach efforts that can expand our range of programs in this area. We need to utilize our faculty's research and take advantage of our students' interest in order to have a major impact on the national dialogue.

Please take a moment to review the Task Force recommendations. I welcome your comments and suggestions.