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Editorial ColumnsSpanier: I share student's labor concernThis opinion piece appeared in The Daily Collegian on April 11, 2008.
Graham Spanier
Penn State administrators commend members of the university community who are bringing public attention to the issue of apparel that is produced in sweatshop labor conditions around the world -- an issue this institution has been working on for the past decade.April 11, 2008 A great university wants to have students who are engaged in global justice issues and who will continue those efforts once they graduate. Let me briefly outline the university's position on this important problem: • Penn State will continue to support efforts that promote the production of apparel in sweatshop-free conditions. • We will continue to rely on the organizations to which we belong to advance this priority, such as the Fair Labor Association and the Worker Rights Consortium, the latter being the organization sponsoring discussions of the proposed Designated Supplier Program. • The DSP does not yet exist. It has been discussed for three years but it is unclear if and when it will come into being. • At such time as the DSP is up and running, Penn State will evaluate the program and determine if it advances the university's objective of fair and appropriate wages and working conditions for workers who produce apparel with Penn State's name. • Penn State will continue to be involved in discussions and monitor the evolution of efforts to promote such objectives. • The university does not formally commit in advance to enterprises that do not yet exist and have not been fully vetted, even if we are supportive of the underlying goals. If symbolism is the objective, as it has been at some other universities, our statements over the years (http://live.psu.edu/story/28955), and summarized briefly above, are intended to provide such reassurance. |
