The University of Wisconsin’s decision to drop its apparel contract with Nike in the face of allegations of Nike mistreating Honduran workers resonates strongly on the University’s campus in light of the Step Up, Oregon! protests last year against Russell Athletic for the same reasons.
The biggest difference, though, between the University of Oregon’s and the University of Wisconsin’s decision, is that while Wisconsin dropped Nike, the University retained its contract with Russell.
Step Up, Oregon! co-founder Mariah Thompson started the group to educate students about the connection between workers’ rights, human rights, social justice and sustainability. The group protested last spring term for the University to drop its contract with Russell after the company closed down a factory in Honduras that cost more than 1,000 workers their jobs after the workers decided to form a union.
“The goal (of the protests and universities cutting contracts) was to pressure Russell into re-opening the factory and letting the workers keep their union,” Thompson said. “We faced difficulties here on campus because of a ruling passed by the Oregon University System in 2001 as a result of pressure from big donors such as Phil Knight.”
The OUS ruling prohibits universities from dropping contracts on the grounds of labor practices. But Thompson and Step Up, Oregon! pointed to a loophole: Universities can limit business agreements if there is “evidence of illegal activities or other criteria required or allowed by statue or Board rule.” Step Up, Oregon! argued that Russell closing the factory down to halt unions was illegal.
A University spokesperson could not comment on the subject. Despite the University not cutting its contract with Russell Athletic, the movement, which was a joint one on more than 100 campuses around the country, still resonated with Russell. The company reopened its factory in Honduras, and all workers received their jobs and retained the union.
Russell spokesperson John Shivel declined to comment.
Thompson called it biggest win for the student labor-rights movement. She noted there were still issues at the University that needed to be addressed.
“Unfortunately, until the Oregon University System ruling is revoked or changed, I think that students here at the University are going to have a really hard time organizing around labor issues and holding any of the businesses that we have contracts with accountable for their actions,” Thompson said. “As it is, we can’t write a code of conduct for businesses that we contract with. What this means is that we really don’t have any standard to hold them to when it comes to their labor practices, which means that if there are gross violations of workers’ rights, we can’t really say, ‘Stop doing that or you will lose our business.’”
Step Up, Oregon! dissolved in fall 2009 after Thompson studied abroad. Since her return, she has been busy with other projects at the Survival Center, where she is currently a co-directer.
However, Thompson still hopes University students see the injustices made by corporations and want to do something about it.
“If we push our administration really, really hard, we might have a chance of actually changing the (business) dynamic and helping to put power back in the hands of students, workers and consumers, which is where it belongs,” Thompson said. “But we’re certainly not going to change anything by doing nothing.”
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