The University has adopted a new policy that will set more rigid standards of conduct for the manufacturers of University licensed apparel.
Leonard W. Sandridge, University vice president and chief operating officer, adhered to recommendations from the No-Sweat Committee in deciding to require a new standard of conduct among manufacturers.
The No-Sweat Committee is a panel of University administrators and student members of the University chapter of United Students Against Sweatshops. USAS is involved in researching poor working conditions in clothing factories.
"What the University has done is accepted the standards of the Collegiate Licensing Company," a company that already handled the manufacturing of University of Virginia apparel, said Louise Dudley, University spokeswoman and committee member.
"By signing a code, the University is saying that not only do ethics matter in our business relations, but that we have a duty to uphold these ethics and to ensure that our financial ties are not causing harm in the outside world," said fourth-year College student Ross Kane, USAS president and committee member.
The CLC code of conduct will "require all 400 independent licensees operating in the United States and abroad to sign a contract guaranteeing their workers safe working conditions, freedom from abuse and the right to organize," Kane said.
The CLC also requires its manufacturers to disclose all locations where University clothing is produced, to ensure that its standards are upheld.
"One of the more difficult things about the apparel industry is that it's easy to hide abuses," Kane said.
The University has taken several steps to discourage poor working conditions.
The Board of Visitors last October decided to sell its stock in Unocal, a corporation accused of sanctioning human rights abuses in Burma.
A recent Nike contract, which granted the company rights to manufacture some University athletic uniforms, included a clause strictly regulating Nike's factory conditions.
The language in the CLC code of conduct was very similar to that of the Nike contract, Dudley said.
The anti-sweatshop movement, which predominantly is student-led, has met with a great deal of success, said Jonathan A. Kates, University Bookstore director and committee member.
Because of student interest in the last few years "there has been a direct and positive impact on these factories," Kates said.
The committee and the USAS continue to look toward advancing their agenda in the future.
"The next step is to find a way to monitor these factories to make sure they're in compliance with the code," Kane said.
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