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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: 202/219-8211
We've got an additional strategy in the battle against
garment sweatshops . . . we're giving it the old college try," U.S. Secretary
of Labor Alexis M. Herman said today when announcing No Sweat University: Labor
Standards and Codes of Conducts, a forum for the collegiate trademark industry
to be held in Washington on October 6.
This first-of-its-kind forum will provide
participants--including college and university officials, students and
representatives from licensing companies and licensees-- a unique opportunity
to explore strategies for developing and implementing codes of conduct to
prevent labor abuses of workers making college and university apparel. The
forum is co-sponsored by the United States Department of Labor and the
Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.
"The school and team apparel industry is a $ 2.5 billion
dollar retail business. The university community--from college presidents,
licensing administrators and students--wants to make sure that their college
team sweatshirts and other products are not made in sweatshops," said Herman.
"No Sweat University will give the university licensing community and others
the tools and information they need so that merchandise bearing their school
name or logo is not stained by sweatshop labor."
Herman added that, "I am committed to forging new and
innovative partnerships, combined with education, aggressive domestic labor law
enforcement and active support of core labor standards worldwide to end
sweatshops. No Sweat University is a perfect example of how we can combine all
four elements of our strategy to foster real and lasting change in this area.
There is new energy on college campuses that is bringing more enthusiasm and
nontraditional partners into our No Sweat effort. I want to tap into that
energy, expand on it and work with everyone to solve this problem."
"Like all colleges and universities, we take great pride in
our name," said Dr. Peter Likins, president of the University of Arizona and a
forum panelist. "And we don't want our name on any item of clothing that was
made by abused or exploited workers. No Sweat University will provide concerned
members of the university community--at every level--with the opportunity to do
more than just learn about this problem, but to really make a difference on our
campuses and in our communities."
The forum will include three panel discussions that will
examine the framework of the university trademark and licensing industry and
provide case studies on creating and implementing codes of conduct. Panelists
include U.S. Department of Labor officials, college and university presidents
and students from Duke University, Marymount University of Virginia, the
University of Wisconsin and the University of California at Los Angeles,
representatives from the College Licensing Company, major apparel lines and
national retailers, union officials, human rights and consumer advocates and
members of the Apparel Industry Partnership--the consortium of garment industry
executives and other concerned leaders committed to eradicating sweatshop
labor.
Participants will also have the opportunity to view the
Smithsonian National Museum of American History's exhibit "Between a Rock and a
Hard Place: A History of American Sweatshops, 1820-Present."
No Sweat University: Labor Standards and Codes of Conduct
will be held on Tuesday, October 6 from 9:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. in the
Carmichael Auditorium at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
The entire forum is open to the media and requires press registration. Press
credentials may be obtained by calling Carl Fillichio or Bennett Gamble at the
U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Public Affairs at 202/219-8211.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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